One Week
by UnicornVine
Summary: Funny how one week can change your opinion of someone. Will Draco and Hermione be able to move beyond their history or will old feelings surface preventing a blossoming relationship? Set around four years after the War. Rated MA for language and sexual situations in later chapters.
1. Chapter One

Monday

Draco was on his way to the Department of Magical Creatures for some help. The Manor grounds had been infected by something that was quickly tearing up the well kept gardens and he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that it looked like pink fleshy domes with black hairs protruding from them. It was disgusting.

He had tried to research and resolve the issue himself but so far he was out of luck. Barney Levit would be able to help. He was the head of the Department of Magical Creatures and might be able to point him in the right direction for a speedy resolution.

He was at the Ministry this morning anyway for his weekly meeting with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement so it was a perfect excuse to stop by. Finally swallowing his pride at not being able to sort out the problem himself, it was his only chance at sorting the grounds out and getting his Mother off his back.

A step into the department and he was met with a furious looking Barney, wiping his brow and shouting at 2 terrified looking apprentices.

"I don't care how long he's had that Blast-Ended Skrewt! It's tearing up half of Cheshire's countryside as we speak! Get a team out there now, and tell the Aurors we need to limit the damage control with the Muggles. Go Now!" Red faced, he spun round to see Draco standing behind him with a wary look on his face as the terrified employees scuttled away. Maybe today wasn't the day to ask help.

"Draco? What brings you here? Walk with me." He ushered Draco to follow him along the corridor towards his office.

"I'm in need of some advice." He started, taking long strides to catch up with him. "The grounds of the Manor are overrun with something and I can't figure out what the problem is. Thought I'd come here for some help but I can see you're busy."

"Damn shame. You're Mother must be distraught. But don't worry, we're never too busy for her! Go see Hermione Granger, three doors to the left." He said as they waked into the office. Barney chucked the paperwork he was holding on his desk and collapsed into his chair with a sigh.

"Hermione Granger?" Draco questioned.

"Yes THE Hermione Granger. Glad I snapped her up. Don't know what I'd do without her." He smiled widely up at him and drew his wand in the air. With a flick of his wrist, what Draco thought was a small monkey flew from the tip and scampered out of the office.

"I would pick it up personally but I'm having to organise a department full of buffoons whilst I've got a swarm of Acromantula giving me grief in the Cotswolds. If I trust anyone to do a better job, it's her."

Draco's heart sunk. He shouldn't have swallowed his pride. He should have remained the stubborn arsehole people thought he was.

"I've let her know she's got a new case. Sorry again. Send my regards to your mother of course. I shall call one day soon once all this calms down." He smiled at Draco and signalled for him to leave his office with a polite nod.

Draco nodded in return and thanked him for his help whilst mentally scorning himself for coming down here. She had already been told so he couldn't leave now. It would be like he was running away. As soon as he had closed the office door behind him he took a sharp intake of breath.

It has been some time since he had had a conversation with Hermione Granger and it had not gone well. Without his father's presence over the past few years, being free to be his own man had helped steer him away from the old fashioned blood prejudices that seemed to infect the pure blood elite in the Wizarding society. He had worked alongside many capable muggles over the years since the War which helped break down the barriers his family had previously strove to keep in place.

Despite the change in his feelings towards her blood status he didn't like the girl. Best friends with Potter and Weasley of all people. Saint Granger, he thought. As He walked down the corridor, he counted the offices, 1, 2, 3… until he saw the delicate silver italics of her name etched into the dark wooden door.

No point wasting anymore time. He raised his hand and rasped his knuckles on the door three times letting out a stream of air from his lungs as he did.

"Come in," a small voice called out through the heavy door.

He pushed his shoulder into the door and opened it with as much conviction as he could muster. As he stepped over the threshold he spotted a large wooden desk piled full of parchment. Dark oak wooden walls lined the room with hundreds of books resting on it's shelves. It would have looked dark in there had it not been for the large charmed window sat behind the desk. It looked out as if the room were in the middle of a forest and that he thought was rather spectacular magic.

Hearing a familiar crackle of wood, he turned to his right and saw a classic red Chesterfield sofa placed in front of the fire and a red armchair just to its left set around a wooden coffee table, the same wood as the desk and walls. There on the armchair sat Hermione Granger scribbling away on some parchment, three books open on the table in front of her. It was only when he gave a small cough did she look up from what she was doing.

Seeing him must have taken her by surprise because as soon as she lifted her head she shot off the armchair, spilling her paperwork on the floor and knocking two of the books off the table in front of her.

"For goodness sake" she muttered to herself as she clutched at her chest. "You gave me a fright" she said to him as she grabbed her wand from the pocket of her trousers and with a swish the paperwork and books were back on the table in front of her.

"I knocked. You told me to come in" he stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes I did, didn't I? I just wasn't expecting… you." She pointed her wand towards him. "What are you doing here?" She asked curiously, her wand still pointed directly at his chest.

"Barney sent me to you."

"Barney?"

"Barney Levit." Draco stated

"Barney Levit… my boss?" She moved her wand from his chest to hers.

Draco started to get annoyed "Yes Granger. Barney sent me to you. I have an issue at the Manor I need help with." He said firmly.

"And he wants me to help you?" She questioned once more moving the wand back to face him and Draco felt his patience was being tested.

"Yes Granger. What do you not understand? I asked Barney for help, he's too busy, he sent me to you." He said abruptly shaking his head at her. "Merlin, it's like talking to a Squib." he muttered under his breath. She heard him.

"Well there's no need to be so rude!" She exclaimed, her face turning shade of pink.

Baffled by her reaction Draco responded, "Me being rude!?"

"Yes you! I was only asking what you were doing here!"

"And I explained to you, multiple times!" His voice raised to an almost shout, pointing a pale finger in her direction, "You're the one being rude and frankly rather childish."

"I'd like you to leave my office."

"Excuse me!?" He said taking a step towards her, shocked at the way she was acting. Treating him like a... a danger.

She immediately put more space between them moving around the back of her armchair. "I want you to leave… now." Her wand was still trained on his chest.

His eyes flicked between her face and the slender piece of wood held in her right hand. She looked self-righteous and a little scared. She expected him to be there under false pretences, expected he was going to hurt her. He would find the help elsewhere, searching all the library's in the world. He had more pride than that. With one last look of disgust thrown her way, he shook his head and turned and left her office, slamming the door behind him and stalking out of the department.

He could go back to Barney's office, tell him she had kicked him out, write a complaint about her behaviour towards him but what good would it do? Why had he even entertained that this would be a good idea? Why he had even tried? Did he expect them to get along? Act like they didn't hate each other?

Hate may be a strong word. Hate is what he used to feel when blood-purity was something he thought mattered. When Granger, Potter and Weasley were the three people he despised most in the world. When it felt like it was him against them. Him against the world. That isn't what it is now. But still. They came from two completely different worlds.

He continued to storm through the corridors cursing under his breath every few steps, making his way as fast as he could to the lift. Any interaction with her always ended in one of them storming off due to a low blow from the other. He had too much pride to go back and find someone else to help him now and even if they did he would be in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

"Malfoy!" a small voice called out from behind him. "Malfoy wait!"

He turned to look over his shoulder and saw the object of his bad mood calling after him. Her mass of curls bouncing around her head as she ran to catch him. He wasn't stopping for another ear bashing from Saint-Granger for anything. He reached the lift and punched the button willing it to open with all the magic he could muster. But magic was not on his side as she reached him panting and clutching her hand to her chest, barely able to stand up properly.

"Please…. I'm… look…" She was struggling to get her words out and she drew a deep breath.

"What do you want?" He said through gritted teeth, staring dead ahead at the lift doors waiting for the grates to open and take him away.

"You… walk…quickly." She said regaining her composure.

"And that's why you ran all the way here for?" He turned and fixed her with a patronising stare.

"No.." she said timidly.

"Then stop wasting my ti…"

"I'm sorry." She cut in before he could finish his jibe. He cocked an eyebrow and turned to face her, looking down at her, he didn't realise she was quite so small. She had a pair of heels on but still he towered over her. They hadn't ever stood so close to one another and he noted that was probably the reason he had never noticed before. He noticed now.

"I'm sorry okay." She said still holding her chest breathing slower with every breath, "I didn't mean to talk to you like that… or act that way." An apology from Granger. This was a first, he thought.

"I was just shocked to see you." His eyes roamed her face searching for a hint of sarcasm but all he found was sincerity. She didn't break eye contact with him. Her eyes boring into his, they looked at that moment to large, too hazel, like a puppy. A silent plea from her to make sure he didn't tell her boss how she had acted most likely.

"Fine." Is all he could muster. If he said anything more he would regret it afterwards. She had at least apologised.

"Thank you." She gave a small smile. "I can come to the Manor with you now, I have some free time."

"Fine." Again.

"I just need to run back to pick up some parchment. I'll meet you at the Floo network in a few minutes?" She nodded and waited for him to not in response then turned and walked back towards her office. At that moment the lift doors gave a small ping and the grates slid open. He walked into the lift and they closed gently behind him.

He had agreed to take Hermione Granger to the Manor. And he was actually relieved. His pride was not hurt; she had apologised to him. As long as they didn't speak to one another too much he was sure they could get through the afternoon. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to do all the research himself and if she could help him get it sorted sooner he would take the chance.

As he reached the Atrium he waited at the entrance to the Floo network as she had asked. Just as he had rested his shoulder on the large marble column beside him, a glance to his left saw a scruffy looking man in robes walking towards him.

'Malfoy.' He stuck out his hand for him to shake giving a small grimace.

'Potter' He replied lifting himself off the column and taking the man's hand in return, giving it a strong shake. He had already spent the morning with Potter and the Auror team on a sensitive Muggle security issue.

"I wanted to confirm next Mondays' meeting is Okay? I was going to send an owl but as you are here…" he said running his fingers through his matted black hair, making it even more of a mess than it was already.

"No that's fine. Kingsley mentioned it to me earlier. I'll be there."

"Great." Harry said nodding his head and crossing his arms over his chest. "So… " he continued awkwardly.

"Potter, don't feel obliged to make small talk." He said leaning back against the column and giving him a look that said leave me alone.

It wasn't that Potter was a bad guy but there was so much history between them, most of their conversations ended in an awkward silence and Draco found it was easier to not saying anything to one another, other than absolutely necessary.

Potter rolled his eyes and looked around the Atrium "Fine, seeya Malfoy." As he turned to walk away he ploughed straight into Granger, knocking his glasses off his face.

"Harry!" She said rubbing her forehead, bending down to pick them up for him.

"Sorry 'Mione." Potter said his fingers grazed her Khaki blouse. She didn't seem to mind. "I didn't see you, are you Okay?"

"I'm fine." She laughed passing him back his glasses "You really need to watch where you're going... Are you ready to go?" She directed the latter question at Draco and he nodded his head in response. Immediately Harry looked between the two of them.

"What's going on here?" Potter knitted his eyebrows in confusion. Draco was never one to turn down an opportunity of a wind up and this seemed like a great time.

"I'm taking Granger out." He gave Potter the biggest smirk he could muster, winking as he did.

Potter immediately turned to Granger, mouth agape. "On a date!?" he yelled.

"For goodness sake Harry no!" she said as she glanced around and saw a few ministry employees looking their way. She continued quietly. "I'm helping him with an issue at the Manor. He's just trying to wind you up." She turned and gave Draco a glare which he found highly amusing. He forgot how much fun it was to wind both of them up.

"You're going to the Manor?" He questioned. "Hermione can I have a private word?" He put his hand on her arm again and pulled her a few paces away from where they were standing.

They spoke quietly to one another. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but Potter pointed to her forearm twice. Her mudblood scar. He hadn't even thought about that. By the way Potter was looking at her he was worried for her which made Draco re-think his decision to say yes to her coming and helping. The issue with the Manor hadn't even entered his mind because of their earlier argument. As much as he didn't want to spend time with her, he didn't want to cause her any unnecessary duress by coming along with him. He hated spending time there himself and he had lived there over half of his life. It held too many bad memories for him, some including Granger that he had spent years trying not to think about.

His stomach gave a lurch as his memories tried to pull him back to that night. Granger gave Potter a stroke on the arm this time, said her goodbyes and walked towards him, looking at the paperwork in her hands.

"Ready?" She asked giving a small smile.

He nodded once more and they set off together towards one of the empty fireplaces, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor as they walked. He should at least give her the opportunity to back out, he thought.

"I understand if it will be difficult for you to…"

"Stop. Please. I'm fine." She said abruptly. Not looking into his eyes. She stepped into the fireplace and looked up at him, silently beckoning him to follow. He stepped beside her and called out for their destination.

A few moments later they were standing in the foyer of Malfoy Manor. He held out his arm and ushered her to step out first watching her as she did. She seemed cautious but had a determined look on her face. He led her along the parquet flooring past the paintings of his ancestors, their eyes following them closely as they walked up to the large dark wooden doors to the grounds.

With a flick of his wand the doors opened and he stood to the side, watching her face as she took in the sight.


	2. Chapter Two

Monday

She didn't know what she was expecting when Malfoy opened the doors to the grounds of the Manor. She hadn't even asked what the problem was and had never been so unprepared in her life. She was too worried about keeping her hands from shaking and her heart at a steady pace from being back in this place after so many years. It's not like she had happy memories here. They were stained with blood, and anguish and hatred and grief.

It had taken all she had to convince Harry she was fine to come here. He had in so many words told he not to go. Told her to think about what she was doing. This was her job and she didn't want anyone thinking that she couldn't handle this. Her scar was itching and she kept reaching for it as feeling it still there was some sort of confirmation that it had happened. It wasn't a nightmare. She had lived through it.

This was all she thought about before he opened the doors but as soon as he had, any notions of anticipation were replaced with what she could only describe as disgust. She could see as far as two Quidditch fields in front of her before a large wooded area sprung out on the horizon but the space between was filled with pink domes that looked like large marshmallow mushrooms covered in black spikey hair.

She wasn't ashamed to admit it but her jaw slackened, mouth forming an 'O' and she just stared at the mess that she assumed used to be the grounds of this beautiful estate. There was still at least 300 metres in front of them that was untouched, including a large fountain and a beautiful area filled with many exotic and colourful flowers. A few more days and all that would be destroyed. Eaten up by the growing mass of spongy mess laid before them. She walked down the marble stairs and on to the gravel path that seemed to loop the whole way around the Manor, the stones crunching beneath her heels until she stopped at the edge of the grass.

She turned to Malfoy searching for an explanation as to how this has happened. He was next to her within two steps looking out over the grounds. At one point she thought he saw a flicker of a grimace as he looked over the estate but that quickly disappeared and he held the same stoic expression. Hands clasped behind his back gazing out into the distance.

"How… When?" She looked at him expectantly, shaking her head.

"Three weeks ago. My mother noticed a small patch forming at the edge of the forest over there." He didn't look at her but pointed to the right hand side of the grounds where it met a large forest. He was barely blinking despite the sun streaming through the clouds.

"This could have been stopped, weeks ago! What made you delay this long before coming to see us? It's torn up… everything!" She looked out once more over the grounds in utter disbelief.

"We had some advice from some friends who thought they had the same problem. That didn't work, in fact it just made it worse. It's grown substantially."

"It's mating." She said.

"I'm sorry?" He turned to face her as if making sure he had heard her correctly.

"They're mating." She said once more.

"Mating only happens between animals…" he started.

"That's because it is. Horklump. It's an animal. Didn't you ever read 'Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them'?"

"Unlike you Granger I don't memorise every book I read." He turned and looked away from her over the grounds once more a brief sadness overtaking his face.

She rolled her eyes but decided to ignore his little outburst. She expected this from him after their disagreement this morning she supposed she deserved it. She shouldn't have been so… rude. She set the Quill and Parchment she bought with her to work with a flick of her wand and the began instantly scribbling away the many thoughts sprawling through her mind, making a firm to do list.

"Streeler venom and lots of it. It's the only way to get rid of Horklump. I know a breeder here in England. Whether he has enough for this I don't know but with the ministry stock we could cope. Usually we would let them loose to roam over the affected areas but in this case we need to work faster. The breeder I know has found a process to turn the liquid venom into a powder with the same results once applied so I think that would be the most effective way because of the large area."

"What's a Streeler?" He interrupted her train of thought.

"It looks like a snail really. Just a lot larger. Multi-coloured shell, strangely beautiful really. You should re-read 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' It's very informative." Merlin she was such a geek, she thought to herself.

"I'll bare that in mind." He said, still not looking at her.

"I'll need help. A team – maybe 8 wizards to distribute the venom. If we leave it unfinished it will just carry on spreading and we need to stop it as soon as possible. If of course, you will grant us access?" He nodded.

"I'll be back tomorrow with everything we need and the team. Can you open up your Floo for 9am?"

He finally turned to face her and nodded once more. She thought she saw a twinge at the corner of his lips but she put it down to the sun being in her eyes.

"Fantastic." She said and smiled. "I'll get out of your way now to organise things. Would you mind showing me back to the fireplace?" He instantly held out a hand pointing back towards the way they came to the large wooden doors. She started forward, heels crunching on the stones.

"I will need to put wards up where access can be given, for privacy reasons." His voice was soft and low as they walked side by side.

"That's fine. We will mainly be working outside. We can set up our work tents on the remaining grassy area over there," She pointed behind her, "so we just need access to and from the fireplace. We may need to come in and out a few times if that's okay... I just hope it rains tomorrow."

"I don't think I've even heard anyone wish for rain before."

"It helps the venom penetrate the ground. The dryer the ground the harder it makes the work. We will need access to a water source if not."

"We have a pond to the side you can use."

"Great that will work fine. But in the meantime – pray for rain. Fresh water works best." She turned to him and gave a small smile. He just looked back at her. His face unreadable.

"I will need the names of the team and all who will have access to the Manor, for security." He added.

"I'll Owl them to you before the end of the day." She said and smiled once more, not expecting one in return. She was happy she had such a big project to focus on. Even if it would only take a week or so to complete.

"I checked the library, nearly every book on Herbology. I thought it was a plant." The first words of an actual conversation. He shrugged his shoulders as they walked through the doors and back along the parquet flooring to the Fireplace.

"It's a common mistake. It looks so much like a Mushroom. Did you use the Hogwarts Library?" She questioned.

"No I used the one here," he said as she turned to him startled.

"You have a library in the Manor?" She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him. He stopped and turned to look at her. His grey eyes quizzical.

"Not as big as Hogwarts, but it's decent. A couple of thousand texts. Mainly older books no longer in circulation, passed down through the family."

"Merlin, are you serious? I'd love my own library! Unfortunately, my one-bedroom flat isn't quite big it enough for that yet." She chuckled and noticed that he mimicked her and a small smile formed on his lips.

"Not shacked up with Weasley yet then? Or Potter? I never knew which way you were inclined." He crossed his arms over his chest at that moment and her eyes were drawn to the open collar on his shirt and pale skin beneath. He was in casual cream chinos and a crisp white shirt – he looked like a muggle. She hadn't noticed that he wasn't in traditional robes until now and had to shake herself from her own thoughts.

"No, it's just me. Not that it's any of your business." She clutched the parchment to her chest. She was taken aback by his comment on her friendship with the two boys and may have come across as rude again. Although everyone assumed the same. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other feeling her face begin to flush. She hadn't expected that from him. He was probably just trying to wind her up.

"Okay … sure…" he rolled his eyes at her.

"They are my Friends. Nothing more." She felt the full force of the blush creep into her cheeks at that moment. He said nothing further but continued to stare and her which made the blush worse and her whole body felt like it was on fire. She noticed that he had inched his body ever so slightly closer towards her and she tore her eyes away from his and moved them to his lips.

"Are you still friends with Pansy?" She found herself asking, as if she didn't really think about the words she was saying until they left her mouth. His lips looked soft and pink and there was a rough line of stubble around his chin. Intentional stubble, it made him look older.

He moved suddenly, turning to walk ahead of her directing them back to their original destination at the end of the entrance hall. She moved quickly to keep up with him, not wanting to be left alone and vulnerable in this place. She followed as if he was about to leave her behind. She'd said the wrong thing. She's asked him about his personal life and he didn't like it. Obviously he had not grown up. His pride too big to burst, too proud to have a normal conversation with a…

"We talk. Just friends, nothing more." He mimicked her words. She was taken aback as they reached her exit and he turned back around to meet her eyes once more.

"People grow up… apart. Become their own person." She nodded at his words and smiled at him curiously. This was unexpected. He was a constant source of confusion it seemed.

"Until tomorrow then." She said as she grabbed a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. She looked at him one last time and as the powder dropped from her hand she was sure she saw a curve of a smile and his grey eyes seem lighter before she was engulfed in green flames and landed back in the ministry Atrium.


	3. Chapter Three

Tuesday

Hermione Granger Floo'd to the Manor the next morning promptly at 9am with her team pouring into to entrance hall behind her. She had on a pair of light blue jeans, a thin grey jumper and her hair was bouncing round her face as she walked towards him carry what looked like a very large metal case.

"Malfoy." She greeted him and stuck out her hand for him to shake whilst placing the case on the floor. He accepted it graciously.

"Granger."

"Thanks for sorting out the permissions. I know I was late sending them over. I had a bit of trouble with the breeder. He wasn't happy about me taking all his stock." She chuckled to herself and checked the watch on the slender wrist. "Am I okay to take the team outside and start setting up?"

"Sure. I have a briefing for you to give to the team about access to the grounds, restrictions, things like that. I'll bring it out once you've set it up."

"Do you want to brief them yourself? Better coming from you I suppose as you've set up the restrictions. Give us 20 minutes or so and pop down to the tent?'' She called out to her team at that moment and they started following her with their own cases towards the already opened doors at the far end of the entrance hall. He watched as many levitated their cases alongside them and wondered why Granger wasn't doing the same. Maybe she sometimes still forgot she was a witch being muggle born, or maybe she was just stubborn.

By the time Draco had walked to his office to pick up the parchment with his briefing, he could see the white tent already being erected over the grounds and Granger calling out to people and pointing to different places over the grass. The sun was streaming through the window and his vision blurred for a few moments before he found her once more walking into the white tent.

"How long will they be here?" a soft voice called from behind him and he turned round to see a pale women standing in the doorway.

"Hopefully they will be finished by the end of the week." He turned back to his desk and picked up the paperwork he needed.

"Have you set up the permissions? I don't want strangers traipsing round our home."

"Yes Mother," he said walking towards the frail woman. "Everything is set up." He leant over and kissed her on the side of head. "I'll take care of everything." Narcissa lifted her hand to lightly stroke his cheek.

"I know you will" she said smiling up at him. They walked back towards the entrance hall of the Manor together silently until she spoke once more. "The muggle girl. I remember her."

"I know." Draco responded

"How could we forget... She was good to us." She looked over at him.

"She was." He glanced her way quickly then looked dead ahead.

"We should do the same for her." She turned back as he opened the door for her and let her walk through to the entrance hall.

"I know." It was all he could bring himself to say as he looked out of the main doors to the grounds. She nodded at him and crossed the entrance hall to another door. She placed her palm flat on the surface muttered something under her breath, turned the handle and was gone before he could say another word.

Despite everything Granger had stood up for them at the trials after the War. She and Potter had provided the Ministry a statement about what happened at the Manor and at Hogwarts. He had never thanked her for it. Always too stubborn, pride getting in the way.

He willed his legs to take him outside as they finally gave in, taking him across the floor, down the marble stairs until the stones were crunching beneath his feet as he walked towards the white tent, blinding him once more as he walked closer. Grangers' prayers were definitely not answered today. There wasn't a cloud in the August morning sky and he was already warm from the short stroll to where they had set up. He didn't envy the team having to work in this all day. It would only get hotter and he would be able to retreat to the house to watch from a distance.

He reached the edge of the tent and asked a worker with a rather large grey beard where he could find their studious leader. He grunted and pointed towards the tent, Draco taking the hint, stepped inside the shaded area. A welcome release from the warmth of the sun outside, he released another button from his already open collar trying to cool down. He walked past two rooms on either side of him, one with odd looking instruments being set up and the other with large table and plan of the grounds laid out across it.

He found one last room at the end of the tent and assumed she must be in there. Two people walked out at that moment in white overalls and nodded to him as they moved past. He stepped inside the small room and found himself looking at Granger looking in the mirror. She was having trouble pushing her hair into a band at the back of her head and without knowing, her jumper had risen up above her jeans revealing the creamy skin of her back to him. He gave a small cough and she turned around, her hands still grappling with her hair and the small band she seemed to be tying it up with.

"Sorry, I won't be a minute." She said flushed and annoyed. He now had a small view of her stomach and bellybutton and found his own stomach lurched as he tore his eyes away from her naked flesh to look at her face.

She finally managed to wrap her hair in ponytail, a few curls falling framing her face.

"I'm surprised that you haven't gotten good at that yet." He said as a sweet scent made its way over to him of Vanilla and Mint and he breathed it in deeply.

"I know. I'm terrible when it comes to actually sorting myself out. Ginny usually helps me if we go out …" She was standing inches away looking up at him and he was looking down at her. He could see the freckles across her nose and cheeks and the length of her eyelashes as she blinked up at him. Her brow creased and her head bobbed to the side.

"Err… I really need to get changed before we start." She stepped back and around him grabbing the remaining white overall from the peg on the tent wall and clutched it to her chest.

He shook his head, "Of course. I'll wait outside." He turned and left the room without looking at her and headed towards the exit and back onto the ground where the team had now gathered to await further instruction. His head felt fuzzy and he kept smelling Vanilla as if it were on his own skin, despite the distance he had put between them. Her eyes kept flashing into his mind and each time they did his stomach gave that tiny lurch like it did when he saw her smooth skin. He was not having feelings for Hermione Granger. She was just the first woman he'd been around for a few weeks and he was missing female company.

He hadn't been on a date in over a month - that was it. He just needed some female company. He would call up one of his 'friends' this evening. That would do it. Just as he was mentally sifting through the potentials in his head, Granger stepped outside of the tent and called for everyone's attention

.x.

"I'm going to handover to Mr. Malfoy here just to give you a brief run down of security over the next few days, then we can get started." She nodded towards him and watched as he made his way over to her, his blonde hair shining in the bright morning sun until he was at her side and talking to the small crowd.

"First of all only access to and from the entrance hall will be made available to you. Entry to any other part of the Manor has been restricted. Toilet access is off the main entrance and has been marked so feel free to use these..."

Her mind wandered as she watched him address her team. He was the type of man that commanded a crowd so well. He spoke a lot with his hands and was very expressive. His eyes lit up when he was talking and she thought how she would love to be a fly on the wall at his business meetings. No wonder the Malfoy fortune was prospering if they had Draco at the helm.

"We are providing refreshments at lunch so we will bring them for..."

She looked to his hands moving in front of him, his shirt arms rolled up to mid-forearm and that's when she saw the faint black blemish on his skin. She had never seen it before. Every time she saw him at the Ministry he was in traditional robes. She never seen his skin apart from his face and hands, but there it was right in front of her. She could even make out the body of the snake, a stark contrast against his pale skin and it sent a shiver down her spine.

Her eyes were drawn to his face. Regal features, an air of confidence surrounding him, so sure of who he was now. He was much larger than he was at school. He had always been tall but he had filled out over the years. Not sickly and thin anymore but broad and handsome. The ex Death Eater.

Back then she never imagined that he would work alongside the Ministry let alone Harry and the Aurors but he did. And he was good at what he did. As a criminal profiler he understands how peoples minds work, helping to catch the wizards that have committed terrible crimes. A contrast on itself to his old life, being part of those criminals, being their ally and friend. He could still be that person for all she knew. He was bought up on different views to her, different ideas. Had he really changed that much? She sighed thinking how different it could have been if he was in another family. Would they be friends?

"Granger." Her eyes snapped to his as he stared over at her. She had no idea what he had said and she desperately wished she had been paying more attention. "Yes..."

"They're all yours." He said smirking at her. He knew she hasn't been listening and her face began to flush as he walked away from the group.

"Right team as we discussed yesterday- let's get going!" she clapped her hands together and everyone moved to grab their equipment and head off into the grounds. She looked around for Malfoy but he was already walking up the steps and into the Manor no doubt laughing at her. She exhaled loudly, there was nothing she could do. He probably already thought she was an idiot so what was the point. She walked off to meet the team and make a start on the work. This was going to be a long week.


	4. Chapter Four

Tuesday

It was gone 6.30 in the evening and Draco was getting ready to meet his date in an hour. Lacey DeLotte was a party witch, just turned 21. Her family had been long friends with the Malfoys and they had a few dates the previous year but it was nothing more than a casual fling and tonight that was exactly what he needed. Just to keep his mind off Granger and her creamy skin and her vanilla scent. He looked over the Manor grounds from his office and pulled on his suit jacket when he saw the tent entrance still open. The teams had packed up over half an hour ago so there must be someone still working and he only assumed it would be her. He checked the wards on the Manor and found her still not having checked out of the Floo.

He didn't want to leave before she did so he decided to take a walk down. His Mother wouldn't be happy with someone still in the Manor when no one else was so it was best to get her out before she started to worry. He hadn't seen much of Granger the rest of the day. He had a meeting early afternoon and by the time he was back, lunch was over and she was back into the field with her team and he stayed in his office watching them work. By the time they had packed up for the day the venom had been distributed over three quarters of the grounds and they only had a small patch left to complete tomorrow, then it would be clear up for the rest of the week.

He was at the entrance to the tent in a few minutes and pushed aside the material to step inside. It was still light outside but inside was a lot darker. A lamp was floating above the long table to the right giving light to Granger, bent over the table with her head resting on her palms, the black strappy top she was wearing was showing him her cleavage and her hair; loose now; curled around her face. He stared at her from his spot at the entrance and she looked up at him, then stood up straight.

"Hi." She said.

"Hello." He responded.

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"It's past 6.30 Granger. Everyone has gone home."

'Sorry, I was just getting finished on the plans for tomorrow. Do you need me to leave now?"

"Well I'm heading out soon and want to make sure everything is secure before I leave."

"Sure, sorry. I'll just grab my stuff." She turned around and put on her jumper that was hanging on a nearby chair, picked up her brown leather satchel and swung it over her shoulder. She made her way towards him and he exited the tent first. She flicked her wand and extinguished the lamp then leaving the tent she drew a line with her wand and closed the entrance up. She turned to him, smiled and they set off back towards the house.

"You look smart. Are you going out?" She asked him as they slowly walked across the grass.

"Just meeting an old friend for a catch up." Hook up would be the better word he thought.

"Sounds more exciting than my night." She lifted the paperwork in her hand up between them and hummed to herself.

"It's hard to switch off from work." He noted and she nodded in agreement.

"It is. But we all need a night off every now and then."

"Hmmm." He agreed. "Crazy weekend planned then?"

"Oh yes. Extravagant parties with very rich and famous people." She jibed, glanced over at him and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I assume yours will be the same?"

'Sadly not. Researching how to get the grounds back to the way they were as quick as possible is top of my list." Their feet started to crunch under the stones now as they reached the main doors. He stepped up quickly first to open the door for her. He was still a gentleman after all. She pulled the hair back from her face behind her ear as she thanked him and stepped through. He caught that vanilla scent again and his mind flashed back to glimpse of her stomach from earlier today.

He mentally scorned himself and told his body to quit whatever it was feeling while he closed and locked the door.

He turned around and they continued their walk to the fireplace in silence. Just the sound of their shoes on the floor to keep them occupied. If he kept thinking about her he obviously was desperate for some female attention. She was attractive there was no denying that as he had noticed a few times today. She was naturally pretty, barely any makeup, chocolate brown hair. A great figure, small waist, larger hips, ample chest. Different to anyone he had ever dated.

Oh Merlin did he just admit he wanted to date Granger? He was attracted to her but that didn't mean he wanted to date her. He was just attracted to her in the way that he found attractive women attractive. When that happened he would usually date them but he wouldn't date Granger. She was here and he needed a release which wasn't a job for her. That's what tonight with Lacey was about.

They had reached the Floo and she grasped for handful of the green powder before stepping into the fireplace.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said looking into her brown eyes more closely than before.

"Goodnight." She gave a small smile and called out for her destination and in a roar of green flames she vanished. He followed a few moments after and called for Diagon Alley where he was swallowed by the same flames towards his evening of forgetting all about Granger and her skin.


	5. Chapter Five

Wednesday

Hermione stepped out of the flames the next morning to be greeted by Draco Malfoy standing next to a tray of drinks.

"Good Morning Granger." He was wearing a pale blue shirt today which she though matched his eyes rather well and a similar pair of cream chinos as yesterday. He looked rather large leaning against the wall and seemed even larger as she stepped closer to him.

"Good Morning." She said. "How are you?"

"Good. And yourself?"

"Fine, yes." She pressed, not knowing if it was acceptable to broach the subject. "Did you have a good time with your friend?" She didn't know why she wanted to know but she did. She had seen the Daily Prophet headline this morning already; 'Malfoy's romantic dinner with De-Lightful DeLotte.'

"Not as much as I was expecting actually." He said with a passive face.

"Oh." She didn't even know why she bothered asking. Maybe it was because she was sat alone last night with no one but Crookshanks to keep her company while he was out drinking and laughing… and Merlin knows what with a friend.

"How was yours?"

"It was fine. I read." And he nodded approvingly at her.

"My Mother has organised this." He waved his hand to the drinks beside him.

"Please tell her thank you. You really don't have to bring us drinks and food." As she struggled to find her next sentence the roar of the fireplace made her jump as her team started filling into the entrance hall.

"She likes doing it. And if I told her not to she would do it anyway." He said as he pulled himself off the wall.

"Okay. Well… we best make a start. Thank you again. Feel free to come down later. I'll show you how far we've got." And she walked away from him feeling silly, like she had just asked him on a date. She just wanted to show him what they were doing in case he was interested. And she found she didn't hate the few conversations they had been having.

.x.

The morning went quickly and Malfoy took her up on the offer of coming to see what they had done at around 11. She had shown him round the grounds and they had watched as the teams used their wands to filter the water from the pond over the affected areas to help the venom work its magic. They had come to a stop next to a large patch of the already watered shrunken domes. She reached down and tugged some free from its root. The pink dome on top was replaced with harsh black spines that were concealed by the soil.

"It's such an odd animal. It looks like one thing above ground, but when you look at the roots its completely different. What may show on the surface isn't what it is underneath. It's fascinating." She lifted it up close to her face and took a better look.

"You can attribute that to many things in life it seems." He said passively looking at the shrivelled mess in her hand.

"Like what?' She inquired.

"Humans." He countered

"Magical or non-magical?"

"Both."

"In what way?" her eyebrows knitted.

"People only show their surface, only show what they want, but it isn't always who they are underneath."

"That sounds absurd."

"Why?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and turning directly towards her.

"Well why would they not just be themselves?"

"Many reasons. Peer pressure, the desire to succeed or more sinister reasons of course."

"Why would they bother masking themselves?"

"That's a great question Granger. Would you want everyone knowing exactly who you are?" He cocked his eyebrow.

"I am already exactly who I am." She countered with a defiant air.

"I don't believe that."

Her face flushed. "Why?"

"Everyone has a part of themselves they want to keep secretive."

She thought about it for a moment. It was partly right she supposed. "That must be exhausting." A niggling tinging feeling in the back of her mind was telling her this wasn't just a general conversation anymore.

"That's Human Nature Granger."

"Well it isn't for me."

"Really?" he looked at her like she was joking. "You're telling me," he stepped towards her, "that you are everything you are right now? That you would be upfront about anything if I asked you? And you would be happy me knowing every intimate detail that runs through your mind?"

She looked into his eyes then down to his lips, he was goading her into a debate. His arms were still crossed over his chest and she could see in detail how toned him arms were under his shirt and something dropped in her stomach.

"I suppose not. However, I always try to be as open and honest as possible. Yes, there are things none of us wants anyone else to know." She looked to his bottom lip as he ran his tongue across it, "But it's not human nature, it's just a natural instinct." She said dropping the dirty mass and wiping her hands on the leg of her overall. She gave him a curious look. "Self-preservation. It doesn't mean you have to pretend to be someone else."

He stood looking at her for what seemed like forever. She searched his grey eyes for a hint of acceptance and she thought she saw his head move closer to her face. A split second later he cocked his eyebrow and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, for the intelligent answer." He nodded, turned and walked away from her while she was left feeling confused.

She thought for a moment he was going to lean in even closer. An image of him leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her lips repeated itself in her mind and a tingle ran through her body. He was right in many ways. She would not want him knowing what was running through her mind right now. Nor would she want anyone else knowing. It was a slip up on her part. Her thoughts running away with her because she hadn't been near a man, been with a man for some time. She turned her thoughts to the weekend and the long awaited night out with Ginny, in the hope she wouldn't cancel. If she was longing after Malfoy she really needed to find herself a distraction.


	6. Chapter Six

.x. Please review and let me know what you think!.x.

Wednesday

Draco made himself scarce for the remainder of the day. He was constantly distracted whilst trying to work because of his disastrous evening and drunken revelations the night before.

Lacey had bored him quickly and by the time he had taken her back to his house he had only kissed her to stop her talking.

She had undone his trousers swiftly, and proceed to give him an amateur blow job. At first he struggled to settle into it and the only thing that kept his mind on the job was thinking about Granger bent over the table in the tent. He imagined it was her with him now on her knees in front of him. Her dark eyes looking up at him while she took him deep in her mouth. At this he grabbed the blonde substitutes hair and bucked hard into her mouth. No sooner had he spilled his cum down the her throat he quickly made excuses, feigning a headache and ushered her out before pouring and drinking a glass of Firewhiskey.

He thought at first that this might just be a phase due to their close proximity over the past few days. He jumped in the shower quickly, trying to wash himself of those brown eyes but it just made it worse. As the warm water washed over him, he closed his eyes and let his imagination take over him.

This time, he was taking off her clothes and she was kissing him, wrapping her legs around his waist pulling him closer. Then she was sitting on the table, legs spread and him in between them, his name being moaned from her lips. He stroked himself to this image until another release took over his body.

After he got out of the shower he grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey, quickly poured and drank two more glasses in quick succession before finally admitting to himself that he was attracted to her. And not just because she was attractive but because he was attracted to _her_. He had been at the Ministry Christmas party last year. She had shown up with Potter, Weasley and the Weasley girl wearing a long black gown with a dangerously low back and he had watched her dancing and laughing for most of the evening. He had also spent half the time staring whenever Weasley or Potter touched her whilst drinking himself into a coma and being taken home by Zabini at 11pm.

It was embarrassing and he never admitted to Blaise who it was that was distracting him that night even though he was quite sure he had been caught looking in her direction more than once.

He could look. He could imagine. He could not pursue anything more. First of all, he was quite sure she hated him, second of all her best friends were probably the two most annoying people in the magical world; not that that problem would ever stop him pursuing anyone else. Her blood status had never really been an issue for him. He acted like it did when he was younger and maybe he believed it back then but not now. She had proven herself on many occasions to be a more than capable Witch. More capable in fact than any pure blood Witch or Wizard he had met in a long time. It did not stop him from wanting to speak to her, or be near her so there was no problem there. The only reason then stopping him was that he was sure or her indifference towards him. He had come to this conclusion after a few more Firewhiskeys and promptly passed out until he woke up in the early hours of this morning with a raging headache.

After a run and another shower he was still having an internal debate with himself about what to do. Should he even try to pursue her? It was obvious what he wanted; her. But to what extent? He was attracted to her and she made him excited... but was it more than that? He knew that Granger wasn't the type of girl you spent one night with despite how many times he imagined that last night. She was a nice girl, reserved. Anything with her would mean taking a gigantic leap into the unknown.

She wouldn't want him anyway. He was the last person on Earth she would consider anything with. She hated him, her friends hated him.

When he met her at the Floo that morning it was to see what would happen. They had been getting along alright... a few conversations. No arguments since Monday. That had to count for something. She asked him to come see the progress that morning and when he did they walked and talked for some time. He liked the way her mind worked. She was intelligent and could hold a conversation. Actually, she was unlike most women he met who were only interested in him for his name or his money.

Maybe that's why she had become so appealing so quickly to him. She didn't seem to be interested in him at all. She was a challenge.

At around 5 that afternoon he decided to take a walk around the grounds to clear his head. He had walked right to the back of the grounds without seeing anyone and assumed the team had already left for the day. He was enjoying taking in the warmth of the setting sunshine when he saw the object of his distraction emerge from the forest to his right. She spotted him and walked over. Her overalls were pulled down and wrapped by the arms around her waist and she was wearing a plain white t-shirt that hugged her in the right places. His cock twitched in his trousers as he thought of what he had imagined in the shower the night before.

"Hello." He said as she got closer, pushing any lucid thoughts to the back of his mind until later tonight.

"Hi." She replied pushing a few strands of hair behind her ears. "I was checking the preliminary patch to make sure it's clearing up alright. We will be able to start removal tomorrow I think. The water from the pond has worked really well." She moved her hands and rested them on each hip.

"That's good news." He nodded. "I think your team have left."

"I know. There isn't much else that we can do until the water does what it needs to do so I sent them home about an hour ago."

"Then why are you still here?" he questioned.

"I wanted to have a walk around to make sure I couldn't see any more patches of it that we may have missed."

"And are we in the clear?"

"I think so. I haven't checked over there yet." She pointed to his left.

"I'll lend you my eyes if you like. I'm done with paperwork for the day." And he wanted to talk to her more.

"Sure." She nodded and smiled.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" They set off walking together over the grass.

"It will look like a very small mushroom, brown in colour rather than the pink of the full sized Horklump."

They walked in silence for some time occasionally stopping to check a patch and have a short discussion about whether it's what they were looking for. They had been repeating the process for around 20 minutes with no signs so decided to head back towards to Manor when he finally decided to broach the subject he had been wanting to since he first saw her walk out of the forest.

"I'm not keeping you from an exciting evening with some burly wizard who will turn up at my Floo demanding you go home because you missed your dinner date am I?" She laughed at him then and he looked over at her.

"Oh… Well no, not unless you call my Cat a man and the dinner date me feeding him his biscuits." She chuckled to herself. So he wouldn't be stepping on anyone toes. She wouldn't be interested anyway so what was the point. "Anyway, Harry And Ginny are checking on the cat for the week so it doesn't matter if I am late."

"Those two come as a pair?" he enquired.

"Harry and Ginny? Yes, very much a pair."

"What about Weasley?"

"What about him?"

"What's he doing now?" He wasn't really interested in what he was doing. He just wanted to see if Granger was interested.

"He's on loan to the Auror Department in America at the moment, has been for six months or so."

"I thought I hadn't seen him for a while."

"Yes. Looks to be a permanent move." She gave a small smile.

"Oh?"

"He's met someone over there. Seems to really like her." She looked sad for a moment.

"You miss him?"

"Of course. He's one of my best friends but he's got to do what's right for him."

"Hmmmm." Wesley was definitely not on the scene then. Not romantically anyway. And he hasn't heard of any rumours at the Ministry of her seeing anyone. She was the Golden Girl after all. Everyone talked about her. That was a tick in the box. They walked a few more paces before she spoke again.

"I can imagine how beautiful this all used to look before. It must be hard to see it like this now." She was sympathetic. Another tick.

He nodded. "More for my Mother. She doesn't get out much and this place is all she has. She's the one that looks after it all."

"If she does all that, then what's your purpose here?"

"I don't have one. I'm working from my office here this week just to oversee things but I haven't lived here for some years."

"Oh I didn't realise..."

"Why would you." He asked rhetorically.

"What made you leave?" She wasn't averted to asking him questions, another good sign. His feet crunched beneath the stones and he looked up towards the Manor looming so large in front of them.

"Memories." He took a few moments before he continued. "It's hard to be around somewhere when all it does is make you remember things. Especially when the majority of them are not good memories."

"I understand that." They walked in silence a little longer.

"Is it hard for you to be here?" he asked her as they reached the steps leading up to the Manor and came to a stop. He didn't know if he wanted to hear her honesty. This could be it. If this ended badly then he couldn't pursue this. She looked up at the doors and answered plainly.

"Yes." And gave him a wry smile. "I mean out here, no. Inside, yes, sometimes. When I have to go in on my own. It's ridiculous really." She rubbed her arm subconsciously.

"No it isn't. Don't think that it is. What happened that day… well it's not something one easily forgets." That memory was one of the main reasons he hated spending too long here. Every time he walked past that door he could hear her screams. He didn't know what else to say and it seems neither did she, but she didn't walk away. They just stood next to one another in comfortable silence enjoying the last of the sun until she decided to speak once more.

"I think I best be going home. There isn't much for me to do. I can do the paperwork at home - saves you having to wait around for me."

He looked at her and nodded. "I'll wait for you and walk you back to the Floo."

"No it's okay… honestly I'll be fine." She moved away from him then and started walking backwards towards the tent. "Goodbye." She smiled, turned round and continued her walk away.

"Goodbye Granger." He watched her walk over the grass and into the large white tent before he went inside the Manor, across the large entrance hall until he reached the stairs. He was halfway up the grand staircase before something slowed him. He continued to the top of the stairs and waited out of sight leaning his large frame against the cold stone wall.

It was there he made the decision to pursue whatever these feelings he was having for her. He couldn't not. It was more than just a sexual attraction he had to her. He was starting to care about her.

There against the wall he waited until he heard the sound of her shoes on the floor, the quickness of her steps until they slowed to reach the Fireplace. A deep exhale, a rustling then the familiar WHUSH of flames as it carried her away. His Mother turned the corner at that moment and he told her that he was making sure she left so he could close the wards for the evening. He knew it was really because he didn't want her to be alone. Even though she didn't know he was there he felt better about it. Just in case.


	7. Chapter Seven

Wednesday

Hermione spent the evening round with Harry and Ginny. They had talked of the problems at the Manor and Harry had quizzed her on Malfoy. His actions, his words, the way he looked at her before Ginny had given him that look and he had sulked off to the kitchen to make them some tea.

"How is it really?" Ginny asked, a look of concern up her freckled face.

"Honestly Gin it's fine." Ginny creased her eyebrows.

"I mean; we talk about the job. He asks questions, I answer. I ask questions, he answers."

"What are you not telling me?" The look of concern still etched on her features.

"It's nothing bad. Well not like what you're thinking. It's actually… nice." She questioned the word she used herself. Was that the right word to use?

"Nice?" Ginny copied.

"Easy."

"Easy?" Ginny copied again.

"It's just, I went into this thinking we'd argue, we'd bicker, we wouldn't get along. On the first day there was a few moments like that but now it isn't like that. We talk. We have normal conversations with one another. No comments, no jibes. Nothing."

"And that's nice?

"Yes. Well it's refreshing. To have a different relationship with him. He's very passionate about the Manor and it's strange to see how animated he can get when we discuss certain things. He's even made me laugh a few times." She seemed surprised herself.

Ginny didn't say anything, just let her continue.

"It's easy. We talked about the night at the Manor. Not in depth but we broached the subject and it just came easy. We walked together round the grounds for a while then walked back to the Manor and just talked. About work and relationships, his mother... and I enjoyed it."

"Hang on... relationships?" Ginny questioned.

"He asked if I was seeing anyone." Hermione responded.

"That's an odd question to ask..."

"Why?"

"Because it's Malfoy… finding out if you're single." Ginny said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"No it wasn't like that."

"Hermione, however men ask that question it's always meant like that."

"Don't be ridiculous. Malfoy is the last person who'd be bothered about my relationship status." She rubbed ger thumb over the lip of the teacup she was holding, replaying their conversation in her mind.

"I think you underestimated yourself, and him."

"Why?"

"Errr... maybe because you're beautiful. And like you said, he's different now. And you enjoy his company which probably means he enjoys yours too other wise the conversation wouldn't be enjoyable."

Could Ginny be right? No... she thought. No he wasnt interested in her. "You're crazy." She said to the redhed.

"No – I'm actually very sane." Ginny replied with a large smirk on her face.

.x.

Hermione was now sat on her couch in front of her TV with Crookshanks on her lap mulling over what Ginny had said to her. It was true, her and Draco had been getting on so well the past few days but that didn't mean that he fancied her or anything anymore absurd. I mean he was gorgeous. He was the guy girls wanted to be with and and the guy men wanted to be.

They had talked like acquaintances, worked alongside each other like colleagues and discussed the past, like they were friends. Well not friends... Minus the blip at her office on the first day they had now spent nearly three days at various intervals in one another's company, just getting on with the job and one another.

It just meant that they were turning a corner. No longer would they avoid one another in the Ministry. Maybe they would make polite conversation. She would inquire after his Mother and the grounds and he would ask after her Cat.

She would miss talking to him. She would miss seeing him so casually dressed. He was always in traditional robes at the Ministry and they made him look fiercer. Platinum blonde hair shining over black robes that billowed behind him when he walked.

The cotton shirts he wore at the Manor were a stark contrast, always with a top few buttons lose which made him look younger and softened his face. She found herself trying to imagine his face now. He had a faint scar over his left cheek and another on his forehead. They didn't take away from his beauty. He still looked good. As handsome as he had ever been. Even when he was a brat in school he was still attractive.

Her stomach flipped as she recalled his grey eyes and the warmth spread from her stomach to her fingers tips. She shook her head and tried to rid the image of him burned into her mind. His grey eyes were all she could think of before she went to sleep that night. Her dreams were scarce but she remembered running through large field past a forest. She didn't know exactly where she was running to and she woke up before she reached her destination.


	8. Chapter Eight

**.x. Still haven't figured out how this will all end.. we only have three days of the week left after all! Please review and leave me a bit of love! .x.**

Thursday

The Day passed without seeing Malfoy at all. He wasn't there when she reached the Manor that morning or when she made excuses to visit the bathroom when she didn't really need it. She walked the entire grounds watching her team remove the shrivelled pieces of Horklump and there was still no sign of him. At lunch she sat on the grass outside enjoying the late August sun, just to see if he would walk out of the doors of the Manor. She even stayed late again in the tent telling herself she was finishing off work. It was past 6pm now and the team had left over an hour ago. There was no reason for her to be here and she was starting to get hungry so made the decision to head home. Maybe he would be here tomorrow. She just missed the conversation she told herself.

She reached for her bag on the chair behind her. When she turned back around there he was just coming through the entrance.

"Hi." He said. Her stomach flipped. Oh dear... she thought.

"Hi." She replied in awe of him. He was in a suit. A muggle suit. Dark royal blue, white shirt, navy tie with thin white stripes. That was it... she fancied him. Shit.

"I would ask what you're still doing here, but I assume your answer would be preparing for tomorrow or catching up on work." He said with a smirk as he moved closer to her.

"Hmm," she managed with a small nod of her head. "I was just about to leave actually."

"I'm glad I caught you then. I've been away on business today, I should have told you before I'm sorry." He was standing on the other side of the table, his large palms now flat against the surface.

"Don't worry about it. You don't need to tell me where you are." She turned to find her jumper behind her if only to try to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was this giddy. He was only in a suit. She had to pull herself together.

"What does the evening hold for you tonight?" He asked and she turned around to answer.

"Not much… you?" she responded. Pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Well, I didn't have an awful lot planned... probably will make a start on the research to replenish the grounds."

"That's a good idea. It could take some time."

"Well you see... I know how much you love to read so I thought you might like to join me? Of course if I'm not keeping you from anything in particular, I would really appreciate some help."

She was stunned for a moment but then realised he was not in fact asking her on a date but was asking her to help with his homework. She shrugged her shoulders, "If you call reading alone and cooking for one exciting…"

"Is that a yes then?" He asked looking at her hopefully.

She should say no. Leave now just in case she made a fool of herself. But then he was looking at her, smiling and it made her stomach flip again. "Yes." She said before her brain had time to catch up with her mouth. Then her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since lunch time. "I need to go home to get some food first."

"You can eat here with me." He said quickly.

She didnt know what to say. "I don't want to be in the way..." She really didn't. She didn't want to give him cause to think she was annoying.

"You wont be. It's the least I can do. You can close up here and I'll meet you at the doors when you're finished." He gave a small smile then turned and headed for the exit.

As soon as her left the tent she rushed over to the mirror to do something with her hair. When it was released from the band holding it back it fell in large curls around her face. Not wanting to seem like she had made too much of an effort she performed a quick smoothing charm to iron out the kinks and pulled it into long smooth curls rather than the messy ones she had woken up with this morning.

She cursed herself for not bringing any makeup so pinched her cheeks to bring some colour to her face although as she seemed to blush around him like a madwoman she didn't really need it. She pulled out her lip balm from her bag and smoothed it over her lips. She then stood looking at herself and gave a sigh.

Was she hoping that he may find her attractive in some way? After everything they had been through did she want some form of approval from him? No it wasnt that. She found him attractive too. She wanted him to find her attractive because she found him attractive. Merlin, even she was confused by what was going on in her own mind. She should have said no.

She was his polar opposite. Not a pure blood not rich, not beautiful. It didn't matter how she looked, it wouldn't change his opinion of her so why bother.

At that she grabbed her bag and walked towards the exit, turning the lamp off with a flick of her wand and sealing the entrance to the tent.

He was waiting for her as she stepped through the entrance doors to the Manor and he beckoned for her to follow him through a large door to the left. He placed his hand on the door and whispered an incantation before turning the handle and ushering her through the open door. She stepped in before him and found herself in marble lined corridor with large windows overlooking the grounds of the Manor to the left and doors to the right. He pulled the door behind him and they walked side by side to the end of the corridor before it turned right. They continued for a few more paces before he stopped and opened a door to his left.

She walked inside and immediately her mouth fell open. She was in a large rectangle room with floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end with a view of a lake and rolling fields. The ceiling was very high and books lined the walls at least three quarters of the way up, with ladders attached to eaeach section so the top ones could be reached. The highest quarter of the wall was full to the ceiling with a mural of what looked to be a great magical fight. Wizards with bright blonde hair were fighting wizards with dark hair with fire in their eyes and large black animals like huge dogs were fighting with bright silver unicorns. She tore her eyes away to the centre of the room where she found a large fireplace with a red sofa and a few armchairs surrounding it. A short table was set in the middle with parchment rolled up and an assortment of quills laid on its surface.

She stepped in a few paces more on the hardwood flooring and turned round to see Malfoy watching her.

"Wow." Was all she could manage as she stared at him is disbelief.

He shrugged and walked past her. "This is amazing. How are you not more amazed by this?" She followed him further into the room.

"You're seeing this with fresh eyes. Although it is a great room." He said as he took of his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the red sofa.

"Merlin, I wish we were friends at Hogwarts. I'd have invited myself over all the time if I knew this was here." He spun round to look at her.

"Oh so nothing to do with my charming character or dashing good looks?" He smirked.

"Gosh no. Definitely not. Just for the books." She smirked back at him and walked over to the wall to her left. She suddenly felt at ease with him despite her earlier worries.

"Ha-ha Granger. Would you like a drink?"

"Oh a tea would be great please." She skimmed her fingers over some of the books on the wall checking out the covers.

"Tea? Granger, you're off duty and you're doing me a favour. Come on."

"Butterbeer?" she asked and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Wine it is." He decided. "What's your fancy?"

"What do you have?" she queried. He looked at her like she was joking.

"We have everything." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh. Then you pick." She pulled a book off the shelf she thought might be helpful.

"Do you prefer red or white?"

"White please."

"I'll be right back." He said as he left the room and the door closed with a click.

She didn't take her eyes of the books as she moved further round the room admiring the age of some of them and finding ones that might be useful. She was lost in thought and by the time Malfoy had reappeared she had already placed six on the table in front of the chairs and had three more in her arms. His presence made her jump and he sauntered back into the room with two bottles of wine and two wine glasses in his hands.

"Two?" She said as she looked at him exasperated as she followed him back towards the chairs.

"Just in case." Was all he said as he sat the glasses down on the table in front of the sofa. She sat down on the sofa with the books by her side and he sat next to her at the other end, bringing a piece of parchment each and a quill. She took them from him and handed him a book or two in return. He pulled off his tie and he undid the top two buttons of his shirt. There he was. The relaxed Draco she had come to know these past few days.

"I thought we could get started with these." She said as his rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, she caught a glimpse of the black smudged snake. "They're on Herbology. I thought it would be best to start there." She dragged her eyes away from his forearm and up to his face.

"You're the boss." He said as he opened the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass, handing her one as she opened the first book. He held up his glass for them to cheers. She moved hers towards his and they met with a chink. She watched as he took a sip of his wine and placed it back on the table in front of them before copying him and settling into her first book.


	9. Chapter Nine

Thursday

After the first hour of reading and discussing various passages they found of use, they had already drunk nearly two glasses of wine each. Soon after a selection of food had arrived for them to tuck into. There were Italian meats, a variety of cheese, olives, pate, warm toasted bread and an assortment of different chutneys to enjoy. Hermione felt so full afterwards and so comfortable she had already kicked off her shoes and sunk back into the sofa with her legs tucked beneath her, knees pointing towards the blonde sat next to her. After the second hour had passed they had finished off the first bottle of wine.

"I've found something here." Draco said.

She lifted her head as he slid towards her, his body coming to a stop right next to hers, his thigh lightly touching her knee. She ignored the touch, distracted by the book in his hand. He pulled the book between them and she bent her head to look closely at the small faded text on the page.

"Renoviate. To replenish or regrow areas of affected ground due to animal or human degradation. That's perfect! See you didn't need my help after all."

She looked up at him and smiled not realising the close proximity of his face to hers until she was looking straight into his grey eyes. Her stomach lurched then and she slowly sunk back into the corner of the chair clutching her closed book in one hand and the nearly empty glass of wine in her other. He stared into her eyes right back. He closed the book in his left hand and moved his right onto the back of the sofa, fingers pointing towards her.

"I wouldn't have been able to get through all these books without you Granger."

"I didn't do much, I just read."

"But you're here helping. And that's above and beyond your job. I will be eternally grateful."

She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know what to say.

"I mean it. Not many people would sacrifice their evenings to help someone else out. Especially me. And the people that do, I value."

"You value me or my skills in reading copious amounts of books?" She joked.

"You always did enjoy reading, I have obviously just preyed on your good nature." He cocked an eyebrow and smiled.

"I do enjoy reading. When I found out I who… what I was, all I wanted to do was learn everything I could so I didn't waste it."

"And have you learnt everything you wanted to?"

"Well not everything. But I try to learn something new every day. I feel like I've been given a gift."

"But it's isn't a gift Granger."

"What?" Her stomach fell. It wasn't a gift in his eyes. It was stolen. Stolen for the pure blood wizards. Mudblood flashed in front of her eyes and she was transported back to Hogwarts and the first time he ever called her that vile name. How stupid had she been to think he was any different now. She could feel the dull thud of her heartbeat in her ears and she felt like she was sinking. How had she been so foolish.

"It was always just there." He continued.

She moved her hand slowly towards her pocket where her wand was safely tucked away. She should have had it on her lap. He had made her feel so comfortable… he had lulled her into a false sense of security.

"I'm not explaining properly… What I mean is… it wasn't a gift from Merlin. It was just meant to be."

"I don't understand." Her hand stilled to rest on the pocket of her jeans.

"It's the wine. It's not making my thoughts coherent." He shook his head and pushed out a breath of air from his lungs. As his eyes met hers, he continued.

"You were born with it. It wasn't a gift someone bestowed upon you. You were just always meant to have it. Think about it. Think where we are now. If you weren't here. If you hadn't had been there for Potter. Everything could have been different."

"It wasn't just me… if… if a lot of things were different…"

"Maybe," He interrupted, "but it wasn't a gift you were given. You were supposed to be exactly the way you are. And I like you… just as you are." He lightly grazed her shoulder with his thumb. The rest of his hand did not move from the back of the sofa but the touch of his thumb on her jumper was unmistakeable and it made her fingers tingle.

"You didn't used to." She asked quickly. The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I know." There was a long pause and a shake of his head before he continued.

"I was an idiot Granger. Back then it was more to do with me and my narrow mindedness. My pride not being to take that you were smarter than me. Had more friends than I did. Then I grew up and that stuff didn't matter to me. It was never about your blood status I just couldn't get over the fact you were better than me in so many ways. A better person."

At that moment she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest it was beating so quickly. He didn't care about any of it.

"All I care about now is what you think of me."

His eyes were scanning her face, his remaining expressionless. Her eyes fell to the undone top buttons of his shirt, the soft crevice between his collar bones showing underneath and she had an urge to touch his skin. Her stomach lurched and her eyes snapped back to his, finding him watching her intently still.

"Tell me I'm right saying something's different. Like the past few days have given us a chance to start again."

She wanted to touch him. He was being so serious and the only thing she could think of were his lips on hers.

"I don't want to finish this week with you thinking I'm still that person." He finished, looking down at the space between them on the sofa.

"I don't." she managed. He breathed out slowly and a nodded.

"Okay then." He looked back up to her again.

"I can see how you've changed in so many ways." She felt his thumb move ever so slightly again next to her shoulder on the back of the sofa and she looked to his hand, his thumb retreating slightly, only a fraction of a movement and they were no longer touching.

They looked at each other for a few moments. She felt like she was seeing him with fresh eyes and a pang of guilt ran through her. She had to leave before she said something or did something she would regret. Before she did something and he had to let her down because why would he even entertain the idea. Before she did something she knew would upset Harry and Ron. Time had healed many wounds but she didn't know whether their indifference for the blonde would ever go away. What would they say if they knew she was lusting after this man?

"I should go." She said yet her body remained still.

"It's still early." He said with a muted expression, not taking his eyes from her.

"It's getting dark out." She stated.

"It's not dark yet." He challenged. A few strands of his fringe had fallen over his face and she was struggling with her decision. The fire burned in his eyes, flames dancing in the grey orbs. She didn't want to go. She wanted to kiss him and decided she needed to leave. Before she did.

"I really should go." She said again, this time urging her legs to move and stand up. She placed the glass on the table as he stood up in front of her. She held out the book for him and he reached out and took it from her, her hands seeming to remain on the book for a fraction of a second longer than needed. So many thoughts were swimming through her head as she slipped on her shoes and moved to find her bag and jacket. He seemed like her wanted her to stay but she didn't want to misconstrue his actions. The wine made her fuzzy.

He was resting his body on the back of the sofa, hands resting either side of him. He looked to her a few seconds after she turned around and he pushed himself off, walking past her towards the door. She followed closely behind him and thanked him when he held the door for her out into the darkened corridor. They walked silently side by side until they turned the corner down the second corridor with the large windows overlooking the grounds.

Hermione slowed to a halt looking out of the large window. She didn't mind that he had walked ahead of her, she just had to take in the setting sun over the forest in the distance. The sky was ablaze with a red-orange glow and it looked as though a halo was surrounding the far off trees. She hadn't seen a sunset like it before and she wanted to watch it until everything went dark.

.x

"Beautiful isn't it?" he whispered to her as she looked out on the sun setting over the grounds. He was so close to her his breath moved a piece of her hair by her ear. The alcohol he had consumed had lowered his inhibitions and he wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her neck but she didn't want to stay. She wanted to leave and he had to respect that. They had come so far in a few days. He didn't want to mess it up now.

"Are you ready?" She nodded, slowly turning her head to see him out of the corner of her eye. Her features were shadowed but he could see her lips were parted. She turned around fully and he stepped away from her turning towards the door at the end if the corridor.

He could hear her footsteps next to him but he didn't look towards her. If he did he was sure he wouldn't be able to control himself. He held open the door for her placing his hand on the small of her back as he guided her through to the main entrance hall.

.x.

He's a gentleman. He was just raised well. This is what he normally does this isn't any different… she kept repeating to herself like a mantra. He isn't interested in you. He placed his hand on the small of her back as she walked past him and her stomach flipped at his touch. She turned to look at him as she walked through the door.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

She nodded. He was so attractive. How could he ever feel that way about her? It could never be anything more. He would never want anything more. No one would understand how she found him attractive. No one would get it. She was conflicted enough in her feelings for him, she didn't need anyone else telling her it was wrong too.

They reached the fireplace before she had even thought about walking. Her legs had taken her there of their own accord, unconsciously knowing it was best she leaves now, for her own sake. Tomorrow would be the last day she had to see him, then she would forget about these feelings. She would forget and they would carry on as they used to be. She grabbed the Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. Turning to say a quick goodbye her heart felt like it sunk as she dropped the green powder. She wished she hadn't looked at him. It was written all over her face. She had probably given away everything that was running through her mind and he was looking at her with confusion. Confusion as to why she was acting so weird. As the flames engulfed her she held her breath she landed back in her living room with a thump onto the carpet.

She stood still for a few moments, letting the evening wash over her. Sat side by side, the comfortable silence when they read, the jokes. She really enjoyed herself and found she missed his company already. It was such a stark contrast to one week ago, ignoring each other as much as possible at the Ministry. Keeping interactions to a minimum.

Worst of all she was attracted to him and she couldn't deny it. She imagined him wrapping his arms around her waist as she looked out over the grounds of the manor. Him pulling her hair away from her neck and placing soft kisses behind her ear. Warmth pooled between her thighs as she thought about his strong arms, picking her up. Her wrapping her legs around his waist as he pushed her into the wall claiming her lips. A familiar smell lingered on her clothes and her skin. Mint and wine.

She lay in bed that night for what seemed like hours yet sleep would not take her. She found herself imagining doing more than just kissing the blonde. She could imagine. This was her own imagination. No one would know the dirty thoughts she was having about him or what he would do to her. It would be her little secret. A part of her kept hidden away from everyone else only to be visited on nights like this when she could not get him out of her mind. Self preservation after all. So she relished in them, wishing it was his fingers touching her and not her own.


	10. Chapter Ten

Friday

She woke up two hours before her alarm with a smile on her face despite the early start. As soon as she woke up properly she realised the form next to her was not the man she had been dreaming of, but in fact a rather large pillow lying next to her in the bed. Her smile faded and she dragged herself out of bed and made a large coffee before feeding Crookshanks.

She couldn't Floo to the Manor until 9am so she washed, dressed and went to the Ministry to organise the paperwork for Malfoy to sign. She was aware this could be the last time they would talk to one another for some time – if he was even at the Manor today. The work would be finished, there was nothing left for her to do. No reason for her to go back. No reason to continue their conversations. And she hated it. And she hated that she hated it.

The paperwork was the sign off ending their week together. As soon as his signature was on the parchment she would leave and not know when they would speak again.

Maybe it was better that they didn't speak again, or see one another. It would be easier for her. The more time she spent with him the more time she wanted to be around him so she assumed the less time she spent around him, the less she would want to see him.

That's what it had to be. That's the way it had to go. She had to distance herself from him because if she didn't, she didn't know what would happen and the unknown terrified her.

.x.

Draco was waiting for her at the Fireplace at 8.55am. He had a meeting at 9.30am with Kingsley at the Ministry so was dressed in traditional robes which he hated but he didn't have time to change. He wanted to talk to her as soon as he could, to make sure he would see her before her team completed the work. He wanted an excuse to see her and to see how she was, whether last night was still on her mind as it had been for him.

She had left so suddenly he didn't know if he had offended her or whether she was just trying to get away from him. He had had the urge to kiss her so many times throughout the night but settled for gently rubbing her arm, sitting just that bit too close on the couch. He was worried he may have scared her off.

At 9am prompt the whush of the Fireplace snapped him out of his thoughts and out walked Hermione Granger. Hair in loose curls around her head, smart pencil cut black trousers and a red sleeveless blouse with small daisy's patterned on it, black kitten heels making her stand taller and making her legs longer. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear, taking a few steps towards him. His stomach lurched. There was no denying it any longer. He wanted her. The more time he saw her the more time he wanted to see her.

They had gotten on so well he hoped she felt the same, but she seemed so guarded. It shouldn't surprise him really. He was either going to make a complete fool of himself today, or he hoped his gut instinct was right and she felt the same.

"Morning." He said with a small smile.

"Good Morning."

'You look smart, Granger."

"I have a meeting later on so..." She shrugged.

"Oh... Final Day." He stated.

"Yes, final day." She responded,

"What time do you think it will be complete?" he pressed. How long did he have to finish his meeting and get back to talk to her, is what he meant.

"I think maybe lunch time by the time we pack everything away. I'll make sure everything is cleared correctly and sign everyone out." She crossed her arms over the chest and relaxed her weight onto one foot.

"Great." He gave her a small smile which she returned. Then there were a few moments more of silence as he continued to look at her, waiting for something from her, but nothing came. "I have a meeting soon." She nodded saying nothing. "I'll try make it quick to come back and finalise things."

"It's okay. I can handle it." She was being so serious with him.

"I know you can Granger." He stepped towards her closing the distance between them. "You left rather quickly last night." He enquired. He needed her to loosen up. He didn't have much time left before he had to leave.

"Yes it was getting late." Suddenly the Fireplace roared to life. The team had arrived for the day, noisily filing into the entrance hall.

He touched her arm and guided her further down the entrance hall away from the voices. He had his back to the crowd of people but her eyes kept darting over his shoulder at them. He was no more than one pace away from her now. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Did I say something to upset you?"

"No." That was it. It took a few seconds but her face softened and she spoke again, quietly. "No of course not." She shook her head slowly and smiled. "I just had some paperwork to do before today."

"Of course you did. There was me thinking I had ruined our fresh start somehow."

"No. Not at all." Her eyes were flitting between his; left, right, left, right. "It's... It's just been a strange week." She said dropping her hands by her sides, removing the barrier her arms created.

"Strange?" he questioned.

"It's just been different than what I expected." She looked at his lips as she spoke and grazed her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Good, different?" He inched closer slowly closing the distance between them so they were a fingers touch away. He didn't hear anyone else in the room. Just the sound of her breathing.

"Yes. Good different." She whispered.

"Good." He reached out with his right hand and touched her left hand with his fingers. He couldn't stop himself. He felt her fingers respond and glide across his palm. She was so close to him. Her vanilla scent was pulling him further into her. He dipped his head slowly as she closed her eyes and breathed out his name. "Draco."

They were millimetres apart when a loud crash startled them. Draco swung his body round quickly, arm extended and wand at the ready waiting for the attack, but none came.

"Sorry!" a young dark haired wizard said holding up his hands in apology. Below him one of the large metal cases had fallen and it's contents strewn across the parquet flooring. As he started to collect all the fallen objects back into the case, Draco turned back around to see Granger walking quickly away from him out of the main door into the grounds.

"Fuck." He cursed under his breath. He nearly kissed her and she was about to let him. He wanted nothing more than to run after her and pick up where they left off but if he didn't leave now he was going to be late to his meeting, and Kingsley was not someone you kept waiting.

"Fuck!" he shouted loudly this time. When he turned around the team were standing still looking over to him with worried looks on their faces. He wanted nothing more than to hex the lot of them, especially the younger wizard but he didn't have time. He would just have to rush his meeting in time to get back before they left for the day. He fixed them all with a stare and stormed past them, robes billowing behind him as she shouted his destination and was taken away by the flames.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Friday

She couldn't believe she had nearly kissed him. She explicitly told herself to distance herself from him and that's what she did... at first. Then he was so close to her and touching her and she couldn't help herself.

Her team had just left the Manor for the last time and she was standing in the entrance hall alone with the paperwork in her hands. She had a decision. Either stick around and wait for him to come back which to be honest wasn't the most appealing thought or to leave the paperwork for him to sign and return to her later.

Option one meant she would have to stay here on her own. Alone. And she would have to see him again. It was only by pure luck that their kiss was interrupted. She couldn't let that happen again. Option two meant leaving now... She quickly scribbled on the corner of the parchment that he could just owl the paperwork back to her. He didn't need to drop it off personally. Yes that was it. Then she wouldn't have to see him. She wouldn't have to be near him. Because every time she was she wasn't herself. She felt like a teenager hopelessly pining after a school crush.

She left the parchment neatly squared on top of the Fireplace before she turned and looked around the hall one last time. The silence began to creep up on her and the hairs on her arm began to prickle. Before she knew it she was standing back in the Ministry Atrium, urging her legs to take her to her office as quick as possible. Just in case she saw him. Just in case he saw her.

.x.

Two hours later Draco Floo'd back to the Manor, practically sprinting down the long entrance hall towards the grounds. The meeting hadn't finished until gone 11 then Kingsley dragged him into another meeting for a further hour. He couldn't say no but he wished he had.

He knew he would be too late. He knew they would have finished ages ago but hoped luck would be on his side so he could see her again, talk to her again. Luck was a bitch today. As he flung the large wooden doors open he stopped abruptly. The grounds were empty. No more tent, no more Granger.

"They left some time ago." A voice from behind him called out. He turned to look behind him, a little out of breath from the sprint to the door. His Mother stepped next to him looking out over the grounds.

"That's good." He breathed out.

"We can get back to normal." She said.

"Yes." He nodded.

Narcissa held up some parchment. "She left these on the Fireplace." She said as she handed it over to Draco.

"Oh?" He looked down at the parchment in his hands. Final sign off, three pages to sign to complete the weeks work. The end.

"She left instructions for you to owl them back." He checked the top parchment. There in the corner was her writing, barely legible.

 _'You can owl them back when you're ready.'_

Owl them back. She knew he visited the Ministry often enough he could have just dropped them in. "Oh."

"You could take them directly to her. We didn't get a chance to thank her." Narcissa said.

Did she even want him to drop them off? Here she was asking him to owl them back explicitly. Did she not want to see him? Had he really got this so wrong?

"She asked me to owl them though..." He questioned to no one in particular. More voicing his concerns out loud.

"Women say one thing and mean another." Narcissa said turning to look at Draco. He turned to look at her too, confusion all over his face until it clicked. She knew.

"You're not talking about the paperwork..."

"No Draco." He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the parchment in his hands once more. She spoke again. "Trust me when I say she wants them hand delivered."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I don't know... I can just sense it."

"And you're okay with that... with me giving these to Granger, in person."

"Yes."

He looked at her for a few moments before smiling widely. She was okay with it. She was okay with him liking her. She was okay with him taking the next step.He reached over, planted a kiss on her cheek and sprinted off back towards the Fireplace to deliver the parchment personally. Either way he would know in the next few minutes whether this was a good or bad decision.

.x.

He was once again standing outside of her office door, staring at the faint silver italics embedded into the dark frame.

 _Hermione Granger_

How different he had felt at the start of the week. Dreading going inside. He still felt dread, but just a different kind. Dread of rejection... He took a deep breath and raised his fist to knock on the door.

"Draco M'boy!" Barney had just stepped out if his office at the end of the corridor. Draco lowered his hand and turned to face Barney. "I hope everything went well this week. Horklump is a nasty thing if not taken care of properly."

"It did... I'm just returning the paperwork now actually." He held up the parchment in one hand and reached out to shake his hand with the other.

"Excellent. No problems I hope!" Barney smirked taking Draco's hand in his own and giving it a firm shake.

"No, none at all." He gave a small smile.

"Great to hear it. I hope Miss Granger did a satisfactory job?"

"More than satisfactory... She was great." She was just behind the door to his right. "I best drop these into her now. Please excuse me." He couldnt wait any longer. he needed to talk to her.

"Of course, we will catch up properly soon." He patted Draco on the shoulder as he walked past and carried on along the corridor until he turned into the reception area.

Draco took another large breath, composing himself before he knocked three times.

 _Knock Knock Knock_

No answer. He knocked again twice.

 _Knock Knock_

"Granger?" he called through the door. Still nothing. He took a punt and grabbed the door handle. He turned it slowly hearing the click as the catch lifted and the door creaked open. Her office was exactly the same as the last time he had been in here apart from the enchanted window. Today, different shades of green highlighted rolling hillsides with flecks of purple heather scattered all around. It was wild and beautiful.

She was no where to be seen and he didn't know how long it would be before she returned. How long should he wait? His heart sunk as he looked at the clock on her desk. It was past 12. She would probably be out at lunch and he had another meeting to prepare for before 2. He had to leave.

He would sign and leave the forms on her desk and come back Monday morning to see her. Her borrowed a quill from her desk, dipped it in the open ink pot and scribbled underneath her earlier note.

Just as he was about to leave he noticed a black invitation for Saturday night on her desk. Scripted silver writing invited Miss Ginerva Weasley and friends to the opening of Quest in Dragon Alley. He smiled to himself while reading the handwritten note pinned to it.

 _Get your dancing shoes on 'Mione! Pick you up at 7! Gin xxx_

Perfect... He thought as a million things ran through his head at once. Maybe this was how it was supposed to happen. They would be in the same place tomorrow night... after their week together maybe this was how it was supposed to pan out. Not here in her office. He smiled to himself then turned and left her office, wondering how he was supposed to wait until tomorrow.

.x.

She could see him between the books, bent over signing the paperwork on her desk. His biceps were flexing under his shirt as he held the quill delicately in his right hand. The whole time she was watching him the butterflies in her stomach were flying wildly around. It was ridiculous that she was feeling this way after a few days. Nothing had even happened but she felt like she was back at Hogwarts, a little girl too afraid of what people would think of her crush.

After he left she stayed behind her bookcase for a few minutes, catching her breath. No one knew this place was here. She had charmed it to look like another bookcase but only she knew of the hiding place. She had one in every office she had worked in, in every house she had even lived in, just in case. She had panicked when she heard him talking to Barney so she hid.

She finally shuffled out from behind the bookcase and went over to her desk finding the paperwork sat onto of her new work. His beautifully scripted writing sat below hers.

 _Sorry I missed you. Catch you Monday._

Catch you Monday? It meant he was coming back to see her. Maybe she shouldn't have been so stupid and just stayed where she was, gotten the conversation out of the way so she could move on. Now she was going to worry all weekend about Monday morning. Was he coming to tell her that their near kiss was a mistake? That she was foolish to think that he could ever like her?

She did seriously consider taking time off work, then realised that was a ridiculous idea and that she would just be hiding from her problems. She would re-focus this weekend and come back Monday a stronger person. Someone who didn't nearly kiss Draco Malfoy and was the epitome of a respectable Ministry employee. Someone who didn't lust after tall, handsome blonde men, with deep grey eyes and an enchanting smell…

No. She would distract herself with finding another man tomorrow night when she went out with Ginny. Someone who was just as attractive and interesting as him and then Monday she would not feel this way. Yes, this was a great idea.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**.x. I hope you like it! Please review and give it a favourite if you like it .x.**

Saturday

It was 9.30pm and Hermione had been talking to Peter Barrington for half an hour at the bar of Quest. He was nice enough… not handsome as such but he looked like a nice guy. He was probably only a few inches taller than her, unlike the man she was definitely not thinking about. No, he was at least six or seven inches taller than her. Peter Barrington hard dark curly hair which made him look young; which he was, he was only twenty. But the man she wasn't thinking about was her age, and his hair was blonde and he looked like a man. The type of man that would take control. Not like Peter Barrington who looked like he could take control of his own wand let alone a woman.

As she looked at him she thought about what it would be like to kiss him. His lips were thin and pale, no shape to them at all. As he sipped his butterbeer the frosting sat on his top lip and a small amount dribbled down his chin falling on his purple shirt. As he mopped it up with a napkin she noticed his awkwardly large hands, how they looked to big for his body. Unlike the blonde; who again, she was not thinking about whatsoever; who was perfectly proportioned in everyway... well in everyway she had seen. She had only imagined the other...

"And Davis, Davis in my office said to me, well he said… erm… oh yes that's, he said to me that I'd got it wrong and it wasn't Morgana that defeated Merlin, but Merlin that defeated Morgana you see so I…"

As he continued his dull story she turned to look for her friends. She spotted the red head she was looking for sat in a booth to her right on a sofa wrapped round a black table with Luna, Neville and Harry. The four of them at that moment were lifting a shot glass of bubbling red liquid into the air, chinking them together then quickly drinking them and smashing the glass back on the table with a cheer.

She smiled over at them all, the love for each one of them radiating from her in waves as she continued to watch them laugh and joke together. It was lovely having them all together but she felt like a spare part always on the edge of the couples. Since the night wore on and the drinks were flowing, Luna and Neville only came up for air from kissing one another when another shot came on the table and Harry and Ginny kept whispering goodness knows what into one another's ear. So Hermione took solace in Peter, but in all honesty she was bored. Very, very bored.

He wasn't doing anything for her no matter how much she had already drank and that was a lot. Enough for her to pluck up the courage and start chatting to a random guy but not enough for her to go home with him. Her plan for tonight had failed miserably. No one she looked at even compared to him... and she was having trouble concentrating on this simple conversation with Peter. So she made the decision to go home, on her own and re group tomorrow.

"I'm sorry Peter, I'm not feeling great I think I'm going to go home." She stroked her forehead with the tips of her fingers, faking a headache.

"Oh okay. It's been really great talking to you….?"

"Dolly." Hermione said. Of course she didn't give him her real name.

"Dolly, such a lovely name. I was wondering Dolly if you would..."

"I'm sorry, I really have to go. Goodbye Peter." She said suddenly and walked away. When she arrived back at the table she was greeted by a very drunk Luna.

"Hermiooonnneeeeee." She called out, giggled then went back to snogging Neville.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "He seems nice, who is he?" She asked looking behind her to Peter at he bar. He had started bobbing his head to the music and tapping his foot on the floor. He couldnt even coordinate that properly...

"Oh no one… look I'm going to head home."

"You're going home with that guy!" Luna piped up excitedly.

"No! Gosh no he's not much good company as it goes. I'm just not feeling it tonight."

"Don't be silly we haven't been out in ages!" Luna moaned. "We haven't even danced yet!"

"I know I'm sorry it's just been a rough week."

Ginny knitted her eyebrows at her comment. "'Come on stay for a bit longer, the boys can go get us some drinks and you can tell us about your week." She looked at Harry with a smile and he smiled back. She then nudged him in the ribs to give him the hint.

"Okay!" he yelled rubbing his side. "Same again?"

"I'll have something pink this time, and fizzy!" Luna said to Neville as he got up, not leaving before he gave her another kiss. As he walked away Luna gazed dreamily after him. "Isn't he lovely."

Hermione and Ginny looked to one another and giggled. Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her next to her on sofa. "Come on, what's up." She pressed.

"It's just been busy, that's all." Ginny knitted her eyebrows to her blasé response.

"Stop it." The red head said.

"Stop what?"

"Stop being weird about this… Did he say something to you?" Her look of confusion turned to concern.

"Who?"

"Malfoy!"

"No! Not like that." Hermione shook her head. No it wasn't that... it wasnt anything he had said.. he was perfect, all week. It was what wasn't said that was the problem.

"Then what is it? You said you were getting along well, what changed?"

"Everything changed… I… I don't know Gin." She didnt know how to explain it. How could she explain that she faniced him?

"It must be hard to express your feeling for someone who was so mean to you for such a long time." Luna piped up, taking a last sip of her drink through her straw.

"What?" Ginny questioned with a very confused look on her face. "Her feelings?" She looked over at Hermione but she stayed quiet just staring at Luna.

"Well…" Luna directed to Hermione, "Your pupils are dilating when you talk about him and judging by that blush on your cheeks, I'd say you fancy him."

"What!?" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione looked at Luna like she was going to kill her.

"Tell me this isn't true?" Ginny asked. Hermione looked at her and shrugged. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't lie to her best friends. It was true, she did have feelings for him. Ginny's mouth fell into an 'O' shape, her eyes popping out of her head, waiting for an explanation.

"Look it's not a big deal okay… I've spent a lot of time with him this week, and it's not like I'm going to do anything about it okay. I'll get over it, it's just a crush."

Ginny looked more confused than before. She opened her mouth to speak a few times but closed it, as if thinking carefully about her next words. Even though Hermione knew exactly what she would say. "I don't understand how you can like him after all this time?"

Just as she knew what Ginny was going to to say, she knew exactly what her response would be. "It just happened." Because that was the truth. She didn't understand it either.

"I understand." Luna said.

"Do you? Because I don't." Hermione huffed and placed her elbows on the table in front of her and her head in her hands. Atleast she could talk about it now. Even if they judged her for it.

"He's not the same person he was to us in school. He's miles apart from anything like what he was. He's a genuinely nice person. Why wouldn't you fancy him? He's a good looking guy! I fancy him and I bet Ginny does too."

"Luna!" Ginny said loudly. "I do not! Yes, he's good looking but…"

"But what…" Luna interrupted. "Should we all be judged solely on our past? Or should we be given a chance for the changes we've made? I'd rather people see me as me now and not who I used to be. The past is the past for a reason."

"No... no you're right." Ginny sat quietly looking down at her hands. Hermione smiled at Luna. For all she was a bit nutty, but she made sense. It took Luna talking some sense to make Hermione realise what she had been seeing all week. It was like it all clicked into place.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"I don't know… nothing probably. He wouldn't even be interested so what's the point. It's best if I just ignore it and it will pass I'm sure."

"Well now is a great time to test that theory." Luna said with a smile. "He's coming over."

"What?" Ginny exclaimed as Luna nodded to her left. They both looked in the direction of her nod and there sure as anything was Draco Malfoy walking over to their table. Dressed impeccably in charcoal trousers and a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up, FireWhiskey on the rocks in hand. As he caught her eye her stomach flipped and she looked back at Ginny and Luna for help. She didn't know what to do. Should she leave? Should she talk to him? Before she had chance to make her decision he stopped in front of their table. She saw Luna and Ginny turn to look at him before she slowly turned her own head to meet his gaze.

"Hi Granger." He said as he smiled. He turned his attention to the two other ladies on the table. "Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood. How are you doing?"

"Very well thanks." Luna responded.

"How are you?" Ginny asked.

"I'm great. Didn't expect to see you girls here tonight." He looked at Hermione again, expecting and answer from her. She didn't know what to say.

Ginny stepped in, "Err… I got sent an invite through the Quidditch team so I invited these guys along with me. Harry and Neville are at the bar."

"Oh Great." He nodded. Still looking to Hermione who tried to avoid eye contact with him.

"Who are you here with?" Luna asked, filling the silence.

"Blaise and a few others. He owns this place so I thought I'd come down, offer him some support."

"That's nice." Luna smiled at him widely then looked at Hermione and raised her eyebrows, signalling her to talk to him.

"Are you having a good time Granger." Draco asked, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. A tingle ran down her spine. She had such a strong reaction to his touch... she had to try to control herself around him. She had to look at him now. She couldn't avoid it.

"She's having a much better time now I expect." Ginny said quietly, which made Luna giggle. Hermione glared at them both. He pulled his hand away and rested it at his side. She felt colder without it.

"Yes, thank you I am. It's a nice place." She looked away from him, feining distraction from the other customers at the bar.

"Gin, why don't we go see where the boys are with our drinks? Draco, maybe you can keep Hermione company?" Luna smiled widely at the both of them as if she had been planning this all along.

"Of course." He responded.

Ginny scooted round the sofa towards Luna, dragging Hermione further into it as she did, making room for Draco to sit down. She pushed Luna towards the bar and looked back at the two of them now sat at the table.

"We won't be long!" Ginny directed towards Hermione before flashing her a wink. Hermione mouthed 'I'm going to kill you' before Ginny smiled, stuck up her middle finger and carried on to the bar.

Hermione turned towards Draco. He was sat close, body twisted towards her and his arm draped around the back of the sofa.

.x.

Her large brown eyes looked darker in the moving shadows of the club. She had one hand resting in her lap and the other on a large glass of wine on the table in front of her. She didn't say anything, just looked at him studying his face.

"I tried to catch you at the Manor yesterday." He said.

"I had somethings I needed to do… I… I had to rush off." She turned back to her glass, running her finger round the edge.

"I swung by your office too..."

"I must have been on lunch." She lifted the glass of wine off the table and to her lips, taking a small sip before returning it. Her hand stayed on the base of the glass, her eyes on the table. Her hair was down, in loose waves that fell around her shoulders. She wore a teal green dress that hugged her curves, falling just at her knee. The colour suited her very well, it would bring out her eyes, if only he could see them.

"Funny… it felt like you were avoiding me…" She didn't move her eyes off the table. He so desperately wanted her to look at him. He'd know then...

"Why would I be avoiding you?" She asked with a muted expression.

"Why would you be avoiding me?" He asked her. She didn't move. _Look at me_ , he willed. He moved his arm on the sofa and reached out to stroke his thumb along her shoulder. "Granger..." Her skin was soft and warm. "I think weve been avoiding something thats been staring us in the face all week. Only I cant avoid it anymore, Hermione." He shuffled carefully on the sofa so his leg was resting against hers.

"Draco… don't" She turned to him but she looked down at the space between them.

"Don't what…" He asked, his thumb still circling her soft skin.

"I… I don't know."

"Then don't fight it. Just go with it." He reached out his free hand and placed it on hers in her lap. He stroked her soft skin and her hand twitched beneath his. He moved and wrapped his hand in hers, their fingers interlinked. She didn't pull away, but moved her other hand from the glass and onto his stroking his skin this time. His heart jumped and he smiled at her. She still wasn't looking at him, but just at their hands linked together, watching as his skin wrinkled under her fingertips. She felt the same. He wasnt going mad. This week had changed everything between them. He didn't know what was going to happen over the next few hours, days or months but he knew he wanted whatever this was for as long as he could.

"Everything you're feeling I'm feeling too." Draco said to her quietly, just loud enough for her to hear over the music. He moved his thumb on her shoulder and stroked beneath her hair, up to her neck, stroking her with his fingertips.

"I'm scared." She said quietly looking up now into his eyes. They were so close he could see the ripples in her iris', the lighter brows flecks dotted in the deep dark brown. She scanned his face, his eyes, his lips.

"So am I. But this… whatever this is… we can't not try." She clutched his hand in hers as if he were going to leave her at any moment. He smiled down at her then moved towards her slowly lowering his head. The fingers he had on her neck were replaced with the palm of his hand and he moved her gently towards him. He felt her shiver beneath him and watched her eyes flutter closed. Her plump pink lips parted and he finally closed the distance and placed his lips to hers. Warmth pooled inside of his stomach immediately as her soft lips brushed against his.This was the perfect end to a week of revelations for him. Here he was openly kissing Hermione Granger in the middle of a bar in Diagon Alley, in front of hundreds of Witches and Wizards who knew him and he didn't give a damn.

All he cared about was the beautiful woman in front of him, the feel of her lips on his. He moved his hand away from hers and placed it on her cheek. At the same time, she moved her hand and clutched at his chest, his heart hammering away under his shirt. Beating quickly for her. The kiss only last for a few seconds before they pulled away and looked at each other smiling. He moved his hand back down and rested it on her leg. She placed hers on top of his and squeezed lightly.

He could see her freckles dotted over her nose, her long dark eyelashes. He brushed his thumb over her cheek and kissed her again, breathing her in deeply. He had never felt like this before from just a kiss.

She pulled away from him. He worried for a moment she had changed her mind until she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "Shall we go somewhere quieter?"

Her breath was warm and it tickled the hair on his neck, exilciting a small groan from him. His heartbeat picked up speed. "Are you sure?" He responded. She nodded and smiled before leaning in and kissing him. This time it was hungrier and she teased his lips with her tongue before pulling away, looking around them.

"We can talk without people staring…" She said. He looked around at her words and noticed a few people looking their way, turning back around as soon as he met their stare. Yes, he wanted her all to himself. Whether they just talked... or whatever else they would do. He wanted her attention soley on him.

"Give me two minutes, I need to go find Blaise." He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her quickly one more time. She lightly nipped his lip as he pulled away, making his cock twitch in his pants and a small moan escape his lips again. "Don't move Granger." He demanded as he shuffled out of the booth, flashed her a smirk and walked quickly in the direction he left Blaise. He would say a quick goodbye then grab her and take her back to his house. He didn't want to rush things. He just wanted to talk to her and kiss her without half the bar staring at them. He had finally gotten what he wanted and he wasn't going to mess it up by going too quickly. Something that felt this perfect had to be savoured and he was going to savour every last drop of her.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**.x. Well... It couldn't be that easy could it? ;) let me know what you think** **.x.**

Saturday

As she watched him walk away she smiled at his retreating figure. Just see what happens. Luna had talked a lot of sense about forgiveness and moving on. She hadn't felt this way about anyone for a long time so why stop something without even giving it a try? It was nonsense, and he made her feel amazing. She was still buzzing from his kiss and she could taste mint. She traced her lips with her finger and smiled before a figure sat down on the sofa opposite her. She looked up with a smaile thinking it was Draco but her smile faded quickly.

There before her was Lacey DeLotte, the girl pictured in the paper with Draco earlier on in the week. She had tanned skin, platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, plump red lips and a slinky black dress cut in a V to her stomach. Hermione had only ever seen her in the paper before; they didn't exactly hang out at the same places; but she was even more beautiful in real life. She seemed to radiate sex appeal.

"You're Hermione Granger." Lacey stated, a sweet smile on her face.

"Yes I am…"

"Amazing, I've always wanted to meet you! I'm Lacey." She held out her hand for Hermione to shake. "I've heard so much about you." Hermione took her hand and shook it with a confused smile. She wasn't adverse to people coming up to her knowing who she was, but this seemed like an unlikely coincidence given she had just been kissing the blonde she had been on a date with earlier in the week.

"Have you?" Hermione questioned, unsure as to where this conversation was going.

"Yes! It's not every day that you run into a member of the 'Golden Trio'. You're an inspiration!"

Maybe she did just want to say hello... "Well I don't think…"

Lacey cut in suddenly. "Draco was telling me the other day that he was working with you this week. It's great to see you two getting along… you know after your past and all."

It hung in the air like a dagger... their past. "Yes… well… "

She cut in again. "I mean I don't think you two can ever be _friends_ , he still calls you terrible names behind your back – Oh but I shouldn't really tell you that, I've had a bit too much to drink!" She giggled into her hand.

He calls her names? "Oh…" was all she managed.

Lacey composed herself and sat up straight, resting her elbows on the table, her breasts spilling out of her dress. Hermione sunk back into the sofa wanting to put as much distance between them as she could.

"Maybe it's when he's tired he slips up. We'd had a long night the night before… if you know what I mean…" She winked and continued. "And I'd woken him up in the morning, distracted him for a bit longer… and that word just slipped out from his mouth. Awful really… _Mudblood_." She whispered the last word, but Hermione only saw her lips move. It was enough to send a chill down her spine. Her hands started to shake first, then her legs, after a few seconds her whole body was shaking.

This wasn't right, this girl wasn't talking about Draco Malfoy. He wasn't that person anymore. She had spent the whole week with him… he was different. He didn't care about that stuff anymore, he never did. They had been so open and honest with one another… and now they had come this far. They had kissed and she was about to leave with him… Had he been using her? Had this all really been one big joke he never got to finish from school? Let's make the little Mudblood fall in love with Draco Malfoy and then break her heart.

"I thought people were past those prejudices these days but you know Draco… he has to save face for the press and you of course. Underneath he still just the same. Merlin knows I see it often enough. I mean this morning when we were showering together it just slipped out again, although he was distracted again… I tend to have that effect on him." A smirk crept across her pretty face.

Hermione's heart sank. He was with Lacey this morning... and now, a few hours later he was here kissing her? Hermione felt suddenly dizzy and sick. She had fallen utterly and completely for this man. This man that she thought was different, but only hours before had been in bed with the beautiful woman currently sat across from her. Had been touching her and had been intimate with her. The room was getting hot, her skin felt like it was on fire.

"Anyway… I just wanted to say hello. Have a great night." She smirked again, slid off the sofa and walked away, flipping her long blonder hair as she went. Her long legs carried her away through the shadows of the club leaving Hermione to fester in black fog she had left behind, crushing her chest. She needed air, she needed to get out of the bar. She stood up and grabbed her bag from the table. She had just stepped out of the booth when an arm circled her waist. The minty smell filling her lungs, her eyes glistening over with the first sign of tears, her throat dry threatening to let the sobs out. How could he do this?

"Ready Granger?" She had felt so safe with him less than two minutes ago. She had held his hand and she had kissed him and it felt like a real kiss. It felt like he was who she had been waiting for. He felt right.

"Get off me." She said, standing still, not looking at him.

"What?" He asked, confusion in his voice.

"I can't believe I thought... Was it one big joke to you?" She turned to him, glossy eyed trying to control herself.

"Have I missed something?" He released her waist from his fingers but moved it up to her forearm. "Granger what's happened?"

"Why don't you ask Lacey?" she spat as she pulled her arm away from him and took a step away.

"Why would I ask her? Merlin, please tell me what's going on." He reached out again and grazed his fingers on the palm of her hand. She pulled away again. Tears threatening to spill from her eyes, don't let him see, Hermione. Don't let them see the tears.

"She told me about you two and... How could I have been so stupid!" She choked back her sob not able to look at him any longer. She turned and walked as fast as she could away from him. Away from the man she had come to care for so much. Away from the man she thought was different. Away from the man she thought was the start of something amazing. But instead she was heading to an empty home, having to start again. She practically ran from the bar, pushed the doors open into the summer air, relishing the cool wind on her skin. She heard her name being called from somewhere behind her. She didn't turn around to find out who it was. She spun on the spot, closing her eyes and focusing on her living room, her sofa. After a few seconds and tightening of her chest she came to a halt in the middle of her living room floor. Only the tightening didn't let off. It was still there. That's when she couldn't hold back the tears any longer and she sobbed loudly. The warm tears spilling down her cheeks, washing his gentle touches away.

.x.

Draco had just stepped out of the bar and into the street when he saw he Apparate away, her brown curls the last thing he saw as she spun away from him. He stood there for a few moments feeling the cool air whip through his hair, confused about the last thirty seconds. What on earth had happened since he had gone to say goodbye to Blaise? There was only one person who would give him the answer… Lacey. As he turned round to head back into the bar he ran into Potter and the Weasley girl.

"What did you do to her?" Potter looked thoroughly pissed off, and judging by the wand currently trained on Draco's chest, his anger was aimed at him.

"Whoa! Hang on, I haven't done anything!" He raised his hands in surrender. Surrender of what.. he didnt know.

"Then why was she crying and where has she gone!?" The dark haired Wizard demanded. His voice cracking.

"I don't know…! We were talking, then I left and when I came back she was angry at me... Stop pointing that wand at me!"

Harry lifted his wand in defiance and was now pointing it at his throat. "You were the last person talking to her, you must have said something to upset her!"

"Why because I'm such a bastard all the time!?" Draco shouted.

"Pretty much!" Potter retorted.

"Harry come on." Ginny said, tugging his arm trying to distract him.

"No, come on!" Draco goaded him. He could feel his anger bubbling away anyway so why not take it out on Potter. "You've obviously been dying to say something to me so why not now. I'm sure it's been coming for a few years."

"You know what, it has!" Harry replied. "You are a bastard! And a big one at that! So I'm going to ask you one more time… what did you say to her!?"

"You want to know!?"

"Yes!"

Draco stood still for a few moment contemplating his next few words. Why did he have to justify himself? He shouldn't have to. People always thought he was the bad guy no matter how hard he had tried to rid himself of that stigma over the years. But he wasn't a bad guy. And these were her friends… her best friends. They were the most likely chance of him seeing her again, his talking to her again. Draco ran a hand though his hair. "I kissed her, alright!" He shouted.

"You what!?" Ginny and Harry said in unison, looking at him, mouths open in shock.

"I kissed her, and she kissed me back! And I was about to take her away from this bar so we could talk and figure out what to do about it because I've never felt this way about someone before!"

He lifted both of his hands and covered his face. "Fuck!" he shouted, his hands muffling the sound. He eventually moved his hands and they rested limply by his sides before he continued. "I left for two minutes and when I came back she was angry at me and now she's left… without me… and I don't know why…" He turned his back on them and looked over to the last place he saw her before she Apparated away. He had finally gotten the girl, finally kissed her and now it had all gone to shit.

He turned back around to see Potter and the red head staring over at him, hand in hand. Potter's arm was now by his side, his wand pointing towards the ground. "You like her?" He said after a few seconds.

Draco looked at him for a few more seconds before answering, "Yes."

"Then if it wasn't you, what happened?" The red head asked.

"I don't know… but I'm going to find out." He pushed past the two of them, storming back into the bar, launching the door open with a bang. Looking first towards the bar - no sign of her. Walking round the booths searching for the bleach blonde hair that would surely stand out in the darkness. It had to have been her. Why would Granger mention her… and what had she said to her?

 _'She told m_ _e about you two'_

Hermione's voice rippled through him. What did she tell her? His heart was hammering in his chest and he felt sick. Suddenly he saw her on the dancefloor, dancing with a tall dark haired wizard, bending over and grinding her arse up against his crotch. Lacey saw him making his way over to her and bit her lip, holding out her open arms for him and wrapping them around his neck when he got close enough.

"There you are! How about we get out of here…" She whispered in his ear, the smell of Firewhiskey on her breath making his stomach lurch, not in a good way. "We can finish off what we started on Tuesday…" She turned and backed up into him, pushing her arse into his crotch and leaning backwards so her head was on his chest. She turned her head and whispered in his ear again. "I'll let you put it anywhere…" before rubbing his crotch with her hand.

He grabbed her hand and moved it away from him, spinning her round to face him. She tried to keep her face straight but he saw the glint of fear in her eyes.

"What the fuck did you say to Hermione?"

"Who's Hermione?" She smiled sweetly up at him. He was slowly losing his temper. He grabbed her arm and pulled her off the dancefloor.

"Ouch! Draco!" She pulled away from him called but he didn't care. He tightened his grip on her arm.

He let go of her arm, backing her into the wall. "What did you say to her." He repeated again, breathing heavily and glaring at her, as if his eyes would melt her skin.

"Nothing… I just went and introduced myself." She lifted her nails and looked at them as if she was bored of the conversation, insighting his anger further.

"And…" He pressed speaking with his jaw clenched.

"And… told her, her place." She folded her arms over her chest, pouting at him. Smirking.

"What?" He was having a hard time keeping the tone of control in his voice. And control in his fists. What did she mean... told her, her place? Before he could ask her what it meant she moved towards him pushing herself into him.

"You keep coming back to me Draco…" She started stroking his chest with her fingers, reaching up to tickle his neck as she continued. "It's like you can't quit me." She reached up and placed a kiss under his ear. "Don't deny it…" she moved her hand inside his shirt.

"Do you know why I keep coming back?" He whispered in her ear, grabbing her hand stopping her from touching him any longer. "Because I know you're easy. Maybe if you weren't fucking at least five other guys in this bar alone, I'd feel flattered. But I don't. I'm sorry I ever touched you in the first place." He began to step away from her until something made him turn back around…

"You're giving me up for a dirty Mudblood!" He had grabbed her wrist again and pushed her hard into the wall. Unbeknown to him at the time, Potter and the Weasley girl had turned up, looking on at the scene unfolding. He shouted at Lacey, "If I ever hear you call her that again! If I ever hear you call anyone that name again! …" He leant in and whispered in her ear so only she could hear. "I'll tell your Daddy all about your dirty habits."

She recoiled away from him… fear plastered all over her face.

"You think he'd want to hear about how his precious little girl is fucking half of Diagon Alley? Or how his hard earned money is paying for your Muggle drugs?" She was shaking now and he loosened the grip he had on her arm.

He pulled back from her and stepped away. Breathing deeply trying to control his anger. He pointed a finger at her. "If you ever speak to her again I will destroy your reputation. Do you understand me?" She didn't say anything only nodded quickly then turned and ran away from him. He inhaled a long breath, released his fists stretching out his fingers noticing the two onlookers smiling at him.

"Where is she?" He asked not caring if he sounded abrupt.

The girl looked at Potter before she spoke. "She's at home, but she's shut off her Floo and closed her wards so we can't Apparate in."

"But you know where she lives?"

"Yeah but..." Potter said.

"Then take me there." He said shrugging his shoulders, as if it were the most logical option.

"What? Malfoy it's late, just leave it until tomorrow..." Potter started.

"No, I need to talk to her now."

The red head piped up then, "Yeah she'll calm down and you can talk then..."

"No." He cut in, holding up his hand to stop both of them from making any more excuses. "Either I knock down every door in London tonight trying to find her or you help me and show me where she lives."

Potter looked at him incredulously and Draco rubbed his face once more. "Please, Potter. No matter how hard you may find this to believe…. I care about her. And I don't want her waking up tomorrow morning hating me."

Potter looked at him for a few moments, staring him out, as if trying to find some sort of insincerity in his face but he found none. He had never been more serious about anything in his life. Potter turned to the red head next to him and shrugged his shoulders before exhaling loudly.

"Okay. Come with us."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**.x.**

 **Please let me know what you think :)**

. **x.**

Saturday

 _Knock Knock Knock_

"Hermione it's Ginny, open up."

She was sat on her sofa, blue fluffy dressing gown on, damp hair, no makeup. She had had a shower when she got home but didn't know when the tears ended and the water from the shower began. She was too awake to go to sleep so pulled on her pyjamas, wrapped her dressing gown around her and was cuddling Crookshanks on the sofa while watching nothing in particular on the television.

She heard Ginny knock but didn't move off the sofa.

"Hermione let me in, please." The muffled voice called again from outside her front door.

She called back. "Ginny... I … I'm fine just go home it's late." She wished the girl would listen to her, but she was stubborn and what Ginny wanted she usually got.

"Hermione, I'm not leaving until you open up this door immediately. I will stand here all night if I have to!"

Not wanting Ginny to wake her neighbours with the constant knocking and shouting, Hermione stood up and placed Crookshanks in the space she had just vacated on the sofa. She glanced into the mirror above her fireplace. She looked tired but atleast her eyes were less puffy now from her earlier tears. Ginny had seen her in worse states than this before. She would stand there all night and probably sing at the top of her lungs until she opened the door.

She shuffled out of her living room and into the small hallway with three other doors. One leading to her bedroom, one to the kitchen and one to the front door where the knocking continued.

 _Knock Knock Knock_

"Merlin Ginny, I'm coming!" She unlocked the door with a twist of her wrist and pulled it open. There was Ginny still all glammed up with Harry standing next to her. Behind Harry she saw a flash of blonde hair. Her heart sunk. She looked round him and saw Draco Malfoy. The one person she really didnt want to see.

Ginny held up her hands vowing for peace, "Before you say anything, please can we just come in."

"No." Was all Hermione said before she moved to shut the door but Harry moved quick and stuck his foot in between the doorframe and the door preventing her from closing it. "Harry Potter you move your foot right now." She didn't want to sound angry but it was hard not too.

"Let us in, please."

She stood there staring at Harry for a few moments. She didnt have the strength to move his foot on her own and she left her wand in the living room with the cat. She huffed at him then swung the door open and left them standing in the doorway while she stalked off to the kitchen. She needed a cup of tea.

She heard footsteps, the three of them shuffling into the small hallway before the door closed with a click and someone moved into the kitchen behind her. As she walked to the far side of her kitchen and flicked on the kettle a voice called from behind her.

"Granger…"

She cut him off before he could speak. "Why did you bring him here?" She directed the question at either Harry or Ginny, not turning round to look at their faces. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard above her head and set it on the side, picking a tea bag out of the pot and a cube of sugar from another.

"You need to talk." Ginny said.

"No we don't." She opened the white fridge next to the kettle, picking the milk jar out before closing it and turning round to see the three of them in a row facing her on the other side of her kitchen, the small dining table pushed up against the wall between them. She was furious with all of them, mostly the tall blonde standing closest to her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hermione…" He started again.

"Don't." She held up her hand to stop him before turning her back on him and placing the milk jar on the counter, watching the kettle boil.

"'Mione, he's been a pain in the arse since you left the bar." Harry said. "You know I wouldnt voluntarily spend time with him or bring him here for no reason." She stayed quiet continuing to look at the slowly boiling kettle. Hearing a shuffle behind her.

"Jeez thanks, Potter." Draco said, his voiced laced with sarcasm.

"Don't mention it." She could hear the grimace in Harrys voice and it made her smile. They worked together every week yet still found it difficult to have a simple conversation.

"Fine." Harry was right. He wouldn't have bought him here for no good reason.

Draco spoke to her. "You think I'm still that kid from Hogwarts? The one that picked on you and called you names?"

"No..." If she was honest with herself she didn't think he was that person.

"Then why believe what she told you?"

She turned to face him. "Am I supposed to have complete trust in you?"

"I hope at least a part of you..."

"Its been a week!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Six days actually! What did you expect from me? To believe everyword you said to me because we kissed?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'd hoped for a little bit more trust than what you gave me earlier!"

"And why do you deserve that?" It was a low blow and he looked annoyed because of it. She immediately regretted it. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Look..." He held out a hand in front of him. "I'm not going to spend hours standing here constantly trying to convince you that I'm not that person. I've strived over the past few years to change for the good and I'd hoped that was enough. This week has been an eye opener for me just as much for you but I'm not going to stand here and beg for you to believe me."

She didnt know what to say.

"I tried this week..." He continued.

"I know..." She responded.

"Then why believe her?"

"Because it's hard for me to trust you!" She said loudly. "I've been fighting this internal battle with myself all week because I've been feeling things for someone who used to be... the worst person in the world to me." Her hand was over her chest, protecting her heart. Her mind racing trying to figure out what to say next. "You were someone I hated and when this week started... yes it changed. My feelings changed. Everything changed. But there is still this part of me that thinks... _Hermione what are you doing?"_

He didn't say anything but continued to look at her, running a hand through his hair and exhaling loudly.

"When she said all that I felt like I was thirteen again. I overrracted, okay. A part of me knew she was lying but another part of my thirteen year old self was terrified that I had a got it all wrong."

He moved a step closer and spoke softly. "I know it's difficult... it's difficult for me too. But this is something you are going to have to move past if this is ever going to be anything."

She looked down at her feet on the wooden floor knowing what he said was right. She either made the decision to move forward, forgetting their past and looking forward or she didn't. If she didn't then whatever this was couldnt go anywhere. And she hated the thought that she might give this up before i had even started.

"Last year. At the Christmas party. Thats when it started. This hasn't just been a week for me." He spoke quietly.

"What?" She looked up at him and he took another step closer only one step away now.

"You were wearing this long black dress and your hair was up... I was stood behind you at the bar. You were talking to Jas Blakely about the kids that had started the Feindfire over at Blackgate a few years ago... the ones who had their wands taken away from them. You spoke of redemption and giving them a second chance because kids do stupid things, you said it yourself."

Her heart was beating erratically. She remembered the conversation. It was after a few cocktails and Jas was only listening to her to be polite but she didn't remember him being there.

"I tried for eight months to ignore whatever you sparked in me but this week just further ignited it. I used Lacey as a distraction for a few hours but that didn't work. After that I drank myself silly and I've thought of nothing else but you since. Then I started to notice the way you looked at me sometimes..."

"She said she was with you last night, and this morning." She knew the answer but asked it anyway.

"I haven't seen her since Tuesday night and I don't ever want to see her again. I promise you Granger. Give me all the Veritaserum in the world and I'll swear it again..." He took the last step towards her so their feet were side by side. He lifted his hands and stroked them slowly down her arms. "All I see is you." She was captivated by him, staring into his grey eyes. She had forgotten about the other two in the room when Harry spoke it made her jump.

"Well this is getting sufficiently awkward..."

Draco huffed loudly moving away and resting his tall frame against the worktop next to her. "You really know how to pick your moments, Potter." The sarcasm was back in his voice.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry glared at the blonde.

"Harry stop it..." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What... He's being an arse!"

"Well that's something your going to have to get used to." The three of them stopped arguing and turned to look at her, contemplating her words. Ginny gave her a small smile before she spoke again. "Do you mind leaving Draco and I to talk?"

"It's nearly midnight isnt this a bit late?" Harry continued.

Draco huffed again and rolled his eyes. "It's not a school night, she can stay up at late as she wants."

"Come on, were leaving." Ginny said pushing Harry out of the kitchen before he had chance to respond. She watched as they left the room, shuffling around until she heard the front door open and close. Just then the kettle whirred and clicked off from boil. Draco and her stood looking at one another for a few moments.

"You're going to need to learn to tolerate eachother." She said looking at him sideways. His eyes burning into hers.

"Is that a dealbreaker?" He smirked her way then smiled.

"Yes."

"Then it's done." Seconds passed between them. Not knowing what else to say.

She turned round, picked up the kettle and and started poured the hot water into her mug. "Do you want a tea?"

"No, I'm fine."

She stirred the black liquid with the spoon then poured a dash of milk into the mug, trying to distract herself from his stare. It didn't last long.

"I can't get you out of my mind Granger. I don't know what you've done to me… but this isn't normal."

She stopped making the tea, leaving the spoon to rest in the mug and looked sideways at him again. He cupped her cheek with his hand and moved in to place a kiss on her lips. This was exactly where she was supposed to be. It took less than a second before she moved her body to face him and he stepped into her, pushing his body into hers and putting both hands on her waist.

She placed her hands round his neck, warmth spreading through her and she tasted mint as he lightly kissed and nipped at her lips. She opened her mouth to him, their tongues warm and wet against one another.

He broke the kiss first pulling her dressing gown off her shoulders to fall on the floor behind her. He looked into her eyes as he stroked her hair away from her shoulders, making it fall onto her back. He smiled and bent his head, placing soft kisses along her neck and shoulder, pushing her pyjama sleeve down her arm. He kissed to where her skin met the material then kissed back all the way up her neck until he reached her ear. Both of his hands moved from her waist to wrap around her back pulling her into a hug. She tightened her grip on his neck getting as close to him as she could.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" She whispered into his ear. She couldn't imagine him leaving now.

"If you want me to." He whispered back, clutching her that bit tighter.

She smiled and pulled back from him, taking his hand and leading him out of the kitchen and through to her bedroom.

"Love the pink nightwear by the way." He smirked and she looked round as she pushed the door open.

"Don't worry. I won't be wearing them for long..." It was her turn to smirk at him and it made him stop in his tracks as she continued into the room holding the door open for him. He groaned quietly looking at her before he stepped in and she shut the door behind them with a click.

The clock in her living room muffling a chime for midnight.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**.x.**

 **WARNING. This chapter contains sexual situations so please dont read if this isn't what you like**.

 **Give me a follow as I have a few other stories I've been working on which I shall be starting to upload shorty. Some One-Shots, a bit of Smut, some PWP and a few slow burns! All Dramione, Always.**

 **Why not end with a bit of** **lemon...?**

 **.x.**

Sunday

As she closed the door she turned resting her body against the wood watching him watching her. The room was lit in an orangey glow from her bedside table. She bit her lip watching him until he couldn't be apart from her any longer. He was infront of her in two steps, bending his head and kissing her again feeling tingles throughout his body. She moaned quietly as their tongues met and he gripped her waist, pushing his hands under her top to feel the soft skin of her stomach.

She shivered and moved her hands to his chest, slowly removing the buttons until all were undone. She tugged the hem from his trousers and shrugged it off his shoulders.

She pulled back from his kiss and looked at his chest, running her fingers down from his shoulders, over his pecks where she found a faint scar. She bent her head and kissed it lightly before she leant back and carried on running her hands down to his abs.

He was watching her intently. Watching as her eyes scanned over the places her fingers touched. Watching as she placed her warm mouth over the pale indents on his skin. She reached out lifting his left arm between them running her fingers softly over the black faded mark.

"Can you feel it?" She asked looking into his eyes as her fingers continued to stroke his skin.

"No. Not for years." He copied her pulling her left arm between them turning it over until he saw the faded white letters scratched into her skin. He lifted her arm and kissed the scars gently. He carried on his kisses all the way up her arm until he reached her shoulder. He pushed the material of her top down her arm so he could kiss every part of her neck.

She pushed him away quickly. He worried he had done something wrong until she crossed her arms and lifted the corners of her top up and over her head revealing her breasts. His trousers became considerably tighter as he looked at her. They were perfectly pert, her pink nipples erect; he hoped because of his touches and kisses. He took a deep breath and ran his hands over her sides.

He bent his head down firstly kissing her collar bone, then moving slowly down her breastbone. Meanwhile he moved his right hand from her waist, tickled his fingers across her skin until it met the curve of her right breast. He stroked the skin there for a few seconds before he moved his fingers to circle her nipple, pinching it lightly. Her head fell back against the door as he attached his lips to her neck, nipping at her skin with his teeth as his hand cupped her breast fully and squeezed.

"Oh shit..." She whispered quietly.

"I don't think I've ever heard such a dirty word leave your mouth before, Granger." She lifted her head forward to look at him, he was still lightly squeezing her breast, circling her nipple with his thumb.

"You'd be surprised, Malfoy." She looked at him through her eyelashes, pupils dilated. "That's not the only dirty thing my mouth can do." His dick twitched in his trousers.

He looked at her half turned on but half in utter disbelief of the words that just left her mouth. "Fuck Granger..." This witch was amazing.

He grabbed her arse and lifted her up off the floor pushing her further into the door. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck giggling at his reaction before attaching herself to his lips, pushing her chest flush against his. Skin on skin. He pushed his crotch into hers digging his fingers into her arse as she took his bottom lip beteeen her teeth.

He pulled them away from the door and spun round moving quickly dropping them both onto the bed. He immediately attached his mouth to her right breast, licking around her nipple and biting it lightly with his teeth while his other hand massaged her left.

She was moaning softly beneath him when he slipped a hand between them and pulled the waistband of her pyjama shorts down, moving his body so he could slip them off her legs. He took a second to look at her in nothing but her white lacey underwear. Perfect breasts, smooth stomach, silky skin. Not only all that, she was intelligent, sexy, sofisticated and; a more recent revelation; wasn't afraid to voice the dirty thoughts in her mind. She was his perfect woman.

He moved himself ontop of her kissing her hard so she lay flat on the bed. She ran her fingers through his hair then pulled her nails down his back. The pain lasted a milisecond before pleasure nearly made him burst and he groaned loudly into her mouth.

He pushed a hand inbetween them again and delved under the material covering her. He slowly moved further down feeling her folds beneath his fingertips. She was wet and his cock throbbed. He wanted to undue his trousers and push himself into her now... but there was plenty of time for that later. He wanted to taste every drop of her and feel every part of her body.

He used her wetness to slick his fingers before he found her clit and began circling it with his middle finger.

She broke their kiss and pushed her head back into the bed moaning as he continued pushing her clit. He moved his lips to her neck kissing and sucking and biting the skin as she writhed underneath him and pushed into his fingers.

He pulled his fingers suddenly out from her underwear wanting a taste. He moved down her body quickly, pulling off her underwear. He didnt wait long before he dipped his head and attached his mouth to her clit. He began licking first, slowly circling then brushing over it from side to side. He reached up and played with her nipple with his right hand while the fingers on his left stroked at her entrance. She had just started to twitch gently beneath him when he pushed his middle finger into her.

She moaned loudly as she delved a hand into his hair, stroking the back of his neck. Her walls were tight around his finger as slowly pulled it out then pushed it back in, eliciting another loud moan. He continued this for some time before pushing a second finger into her and curling them both up to the soft point inside her. At the same time he pushed hard on her clit with his tongue and she half scremed before covering her mouth with her hand.

He moved his hand away from her breast and pulled hers away from her mouth.

"I want to hear you, Granger." He commanded before taking both her hands and holding them to her stomach with one hand and continuing to pump his fingers into her with the other while he brushed and pushed his tongue into her clit.

She was shaking now, continuously moaning and pushing into him with her hips. It was only thirty seconds later that she half whispered and half moaned. "I'm going to come... Draco..." He pushed and pumped his fingers harder until she moaned loudly "Ahhh," and clenched her thighs around his head.

He rested his head inbetween her legs until she stopped shaking then slowly pulled his fingers out of her making her moan and giggle at the same time. He moved up to lie down by her side as she came down from her orgasm, watching her breathe deeply and stroking her breasts with his fingertips.

"Wow." Was all she said as she opened her eyes and smiled at him. He rested his hand on her stomach and looked down at her. Flushed cheeks, swollen lips. If he could wake up to her this way everyday he would be a happy man.

"What's next?" She asked.

"Merlin, Granger dont you want to recover first!"

"I meant after this.Tomorrow. Next week?"

"Lets just take it one day at a time." He said shrugging his shoulders and pulling her in for a kiss. This time it was slow and passionate and filled with words he couldn't say to her... not yet anyway. After a few seconds she moved her body to straddle him.

"I think it's time I return the favour..." She whispered as she kissed her way down to his chest. He wasnt going to worry about the future. It didnt matter that they didnt have a plan. It didnt matter that they didnt have a clue what was going to happen. He was focussing on his present. And his present was very appealing. All his thoughts were taken up by her and her silky skin and her kisses and her mouth...


End file.
